Inevitable Return
by aggie23
Summary: Wemma AU/OCC. She s got Paris but doesn t have him. Changes after a phonecall.
1. Prologue

**Hello, again! Well, as I published in Tumblr, this is the complete prologue for this new story. I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think about it (your words are always encouraging!)… I just would like warn you about the future develop of angst and smut. **

**This is an OCC story, and perhaps a little unconventional… Please don´t be too hard on me… I plan to make this work and deliver some cute Wemma ending!**

**As usual, I´d like to thank Becca for proof-reading this for me and helping me with the tittle!**

**Aggie**

* * *

It was utterly strange hearing the phone ringing so early in the morning.

_6.50_. The clock on the night table announced in reddish twinkling lights as she growled and pick up the call.

She didn´t know whether to feel annoyed or curious. No one except her parents had her phone number from the little apartment she had rented in Paris. Ok, from the new apartment she had rented after breaking up with Antoine. Too bad it hadn´t work; Antoine was really a good guy (a couple of years older that her – not to break custom), but Emma couldn't let her heart be his. She tired, though, but after five months of living together, she simply had to leave. He was asking for something she could never give him, despite she was certain he deserved the Earth and moon.

The new flat was small next to the old one, but it was enough for her; a small kitchen-dining-living room, a comfy bedroom, bathroom and the smallest balcony ever. The lighting was the main (not to say the only) reason she had gotten it; although the price was exorbitant. But that was what a pad in Paris cost.

That was why hearing a male voice speaking English disconcerted her.

"_Alo_?", she asked once more after a breathed 'hello' and then silence.

"Emma?", it was definitely an English accent, reason why she replied in that language.

"Yes… it´s Emma… Who… Will?", the voice reminded her of him, but it couldn´t be him.

"Yeah…".

It had been two years since they have last spoken and now Emma remembered the reason; her heart was beating like crazy and the sweat on her palms made the vintage black phone to slip from her hands. Suddenly her bed didn´t feel like the right place to have a conversation with him and Emma got up, accidentally dropping the speaker.

"Are you there?", she heard his voice distant and struggled to recover the device.

"Ye-yes… I´m… how-how did you get my number?", _And what do you want_? It maddened her without logical reason; it wasn´t like he had done something to her. It maddened how little her reaction to him had changed over the years.

"Your parents gave it to me"

"Oh…", then silence again and a long puff of air escaped his mouth, "What do you want, Will?", she didn´t want to sound so resigned, but she did. She felt bitter just by having news of him.

"You have to come back"

"What?", she almost laughed at him. _Is he crazy_?, "I'm happy here", Ok, that wasn´t entirely true. But she was safe there. Safer than in Lima, near him.

"Then… you can go back, but right now, you need to come here", he sounded slightly winded, but struggling to compose himself. Actually his voice was uneven and hoarse, nearly choked and for the first time since she had pick up the phone, Emma feared.

"Will, what´s wrong?"

"Please, take the next flight to Lima"

"What happened?", her lips trembled; something had happened to one of her parents. _Then why is he calling and not Claire_?

"Please, Emma, come"

"Tell me what´s wrong!", she hissed bordering hysteria.

"It´s Claire, Em…."

_Oh, no… Please no…._, "Wh-what´s wrong with Claire?", she asked; suddenly her legs lost all their strength to keep her standing.

"She´s… there was… ", he gulped and spoke low, so low she could barely hear him, "Em, Claire was in a car accident"

"Is-is she ok?", she wasn´t. She just knew it. However she found herself begging. _Please, say yes… please, say yes…_

"No… she´s-she´s not ok…", he was quiet for a second that felt like a million years, "she passed away"

It was the most awful sensation; a pail of icy water and her body sweating and shaking maniacally, the room spinning and the disgusting taste of bile on her tongue. And tears… so many tears and so much pain. "No…"

"I´m so sorry, Emma…", she heard him cry too and anguish washed her and conquered every fiber of her body and soul.

"I…", _breath, breath_, "I´ll take the next flight. I… Oh god… My parents… wh-where are they?"

"On their way", he just said and she knew he was covering his mouth to avoid breaking in wild tears, "the service will be tomorrow. You think you´ll make i-"

"Yes", she would be there, no matter what. This was her elder and only sister. "The girls… are they with you?"

"No, at home. With a nanny".

She couldn't help the weeping and sobbed against the phone, hearing him breath unevenly, "I´m- I´m sorry…"

"It´s ok, Em… she was your sister…"

"Will, I…."

"Come, Emma… come back home…", he begged fighting the crying off, "we need you here"

"I´ll-I´ll book a ticket and call you back", she heard him sighed in relief.

"Thank you"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter one, everybody! Hopefully, there´s a little more information about the characters here! This is basically written from Emma´s POV; but I´ll add about Will´s in the future!**

**Hope you like it and look forward to your thoughts about this!**

**Aggie**

**I**

It was very movies-like to call the airline and find out there was a flight to the US taking off in four hours and a couple of available tickets.

There was no time to think or plan, besides she didn´t want to; so, with uncharacteristic haste, Emma packed her belongings and a carry on with her cellphone and notebook and took the first taxi to the airport, but not before stopping at Edith´s, her co-worker and only friend in Paris. She must have looked awful, because the woman wouldn´t stop asking her what was going on, but Emma was already running late; she left her apartment key, money to pay the bills and a kiss on each cheek before jumping back in the car and speeding to the airport.

She hated planes and everything that came with them: the noises, the smells, the lavatory… but under those circumstances she was glad to have the drinks cart passing by her side every hour. There was only one way she´d get through a ten hours flight without losing her mind. And that was booze.

"_Mercy_…", she whispered to the flight attendant for the second time and the young woman smiled at her with sympathy. It was the exact same smile Edith and the taxi driver had given her.

Finally, the alcohol took effect and drew her to a restless sleep plagued with nightmares and perfect images of Claire and her, of her wedding day and the thorn placed in her heart that day.

* * *

"_What can I say that you already don´t know? Sis, you look breathtaking… and Will, you look like one of those beaus from the old movies. Actually you both look too amazing for the average eye, so excuse me if I get a little bitchy, but I'm terribly jealous of you", people laughed and clapped, they were all so drunk, "But thank you for making my sister so happy, Will… and welcome to the family. For Claire and Will… ", Emma raised her cup, "for finding true love"_

_It was the lamest speech ever, but what else could she say? She had tried to write a better one, but the only thing coming her mind was describing what a perfect man Will was. And Claire wouldn´t appreciate that… After all, a wedding was a celebration of the reunion of two people; praising one wasn´t a good idea. _

_So she cheered with the rest of the guests and finished the champagne in one gulp. _

_It was a lovely wedding: merry, fun and hilarious; except for her. And Emma hated herself for her nasty feelings… Her sister was getting married, for Christ Sake! She should be happy, not gloomy and avoiding any attempt of conversation friends made. But it was her sister getting married… to the man she was so in love with._

"_Em, dance with me", he asked seeing her alone, sitting in the bridal table; her table as well. _

"_No…", she shook her head, not really wanting to be touched by him; she didn´t trust her own instincts, "I, uhm, I'm drunk.. I´d step on you", she wasn´t drunk… yet._

"_I´m drunk too!", he was cheery and bubbly, "C´mon, dance with your brother in law!". He practically dragged her to the dance floor and swayed her around as the other couples hopped and sang, totally wasted, "Are you ok?"_

"_Yup", a nod and a fake smile was her reply, "Maybe dizzy, but not too bad"_

"_C´mon, let me take you outside", suddenly he was serious and taking her hand to walk her to the backyard._

"_No", she really didn´t want to be left alone with him; the man knew her too well and he´d begin to ask questions, "You don´t have to take care of me, Will"_

"_I always have"_

_He was right; since the first day they´d met he´d been some sort of guardian for her, "Well, no. there´s no need. I´m ok and you have someone else to take care of from now on", she smiled tenderly but honestly was wishing to yell at him. Why was he always so concerned? _

"_Oh, Em, you´re cute when you´re drunk", his hug was only fraternal and hers was coy._

"_I want to tell you something", she whispered after a few seconds._

"_Fire away"_

"_I´m happy for you and Claire", she was, although she was having a hard time showing it. "And I want to ask you something… the last thing I´ll ever ask you", it was a promise to herself._

"_Anything"_

"_Can you ask Carl to stop hitting on me?", Will furrowed and looked around, "I know he´s your best man but I don´t like him"_

"_I didn´t know he was bothering you… I´ll talk to him"_

"_Thank you", Carl was the most annoying man she´d ever met; his cheesy lines were making Emma seriously uncomfortable_.

"_You sure you're ok?", his finger found her chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze, "You look… weird"_

"_I´m ok_"

* * *

A beep and the flight attendant´s voice startled her.

The landing would take place in the next minutes and Emma took a couple sips of water; her head was slightly throbbing. Maybe she should have stopped at the 4th glass of liquor.

Disembarking was chaotic. There were families and kids everywhere and it cost her a great deal of effort to breath and wait until everyone had collected their handbags.

Luckily, she spotted her luggage right away and practically hurled herself on it when seeing other anxious people walk hurriedly towards the conveyor belt.

And that was when she heard her name.

"Emma! Em!"

She turned around; it was him. It had to be him.

"Hi…", she muttered avoiding eye contact. _Why am I still the same around you_?

He took her in his arms, tightly, and Emma gasped, taken aback; her world tumbling and her heart hurting, just like minutes ago.

"Hey…", he said against her hair.

"Will, I-"

"You´re here", there was disbelief in his voice, "Thank God you´re here"

_Oh_… he was shattered. And so was she.

Finally, she gathered the power to hold him back, sobbing on his shirt neck line, feeling his arms keeping her steady, close to him.

"Why did you leave…? Oh, Em, we´ve missed you…", he was helplessly crying and at last, pulled away to look at her; his eyes glossy and green as ever, "how are you?"

"Shitty. You?"

"Fucked up. I missed you", she smiled weakly and he took the luggage off her hands, "the car is in the parking lot"

"You didn´t have to come pick me up", she said realizing he was wearing black trousers and matching jacket. _Shit_! He was in the middle of the service.

"I wanted to… I needed a minute out of the house", he confessed jadedly.

"What happened, Will?", the need of knowing was stronger than anything.

He let out a small cough and spoke quietly, "She was on her way to Chicago, to a conference. It was raining and Claire was never very prudent behind the wheel. The tire bit a puddle and she lost control of the car"

"Oh, Gosh, Claire…", renewed tears filled her eyes, not believing this was actually happening and hoping she was still having one of those hideous dreams.

"She, erm, went into cardiac arrest during surgery… a couple of minutes before I called you", in a point he sounded detached, he was handling everything so well… so composed. But of course, he was still shocked.

Emma was openly crying when he finished talking, struggling to get a grip. _Calm down! He is a widow with two little girls with no mother, not you_! _Calm down, damn it_!

"I´m so sorry, Emma", collecting the left pieces of her heart, she looked at him, "I´m sorry you weren´t here"

"I-I… I can´t…", she couldn´t speak, not even showing him her gratitude, so Emma breathed and gulped harshly, "H-has the service started?", if she didn´t redirect the topic she´d break again.

"In a few minutes", a nod signified she was thankful, "You can take a bath once we get home… your parents are solving some… administrative stuff… they´ll be back soon"

-XX-

"Em, Emma sweetheart…", Mrs. Pillsbury pulled her daughter into her embrace, tears moistening her wrinkled eyes.

"Mum… Hi…"

"I haven´t see you in so long…", the reproach in her voice was subtle, yet evident, but Emma didn´t mind. She had missed her too. Terribly.

"Mum… I love you", maybe it was time to start saying that more often.

"I love you too, Hun… so much…", she didn´t let go her tiny daughter, she held onto her, unwilling her to let her go again. When the old woman managed to regain her composure, she asked with throaty voice, "How was the flight?"

"Awful, mum…"

She hugged her once more, and her mother wept on her neck, "Please don´t ever leave us, Emma… I can´t stand loosing another daughter"

"Mum…", she couldn´t leave her, not again, not now and suddenly Emma hated everything, "Why did this happened, mum? It´s-it´s so unfair… Claire… she- and Will and the girls… and you… and dad…"

"I know"

The room was silent for minutes, there wasn´t much to say, except to cry in each other´s company.

"How´s dad?"

"Devastated. He´s in the backyard, smoking. It´s his first cigarette in 20 years…"

"I´ll go see him"

Greeting Mr. Pillsbury was worst. Much worst. He made no demonstration of affection, no cries, no nothing. He only kept smoking. He was truly crushed.

"Dad…", she called him sensing the atmosphere dense and gloomy. It was her insides reflected on him.

"You came"

"Of course I came", _Dad… don´t be mad at me._

"You were in Paris"

"Dad…", his reproach was harsher then Mrs. Pillsbury´s and Emma cringed a little.

"You´ll leave again?", he played with the cigarette's filter.

"I don´t know…", she didn´t actually; not after her mother´s words.

"You´ll leave"

"Dad…"

"It´s ok… you left once, I don´t see why you would stay here-"

"Dad, can´t you just shut up and look at me?"

Finally their eyes met, each one mirrored the other´s pain.

"You´re skinny"

"And you´re smoking"

"Yeah…"

"Put that out", he chuckled bitterly and filled his lungs with smoke for the 6th time since she had stood on the grass in front of him, "Put that out and never light another one and I´ll stay"

Immediately, he dropped the thing and put it off with the tip of his shoe to take his daughter into his arms, "You better stay, Emma"

"I will…"

"Oh, God, child where you´ve been all this time?"

"Paris", she cried and held him tighter, "Missing you… Missing Claire…"

"We can miss her together", he handed her one of his handkerchiefs and watched her clean the makeup under her eyes, "Have you seen the girls?"

"I-I don´t know what to tell them"

"They´ve been asking for you"

-XX-

"Girls…?", Emma called softly while going in the luminous bedroom her nieces shared. Sam was crying her heart out and as soon as she spotted her aunt walking in, she run towards her and gripped onto her neck with incredible strength for a six year old.

"Aunt Emma!", she sobbed and struggled to climb in her arms.

"Hi, sweetie…"

"Where were you?", the girl needed her.

"With granny and grandpa", she explained caressing Sam´s head and looking at her. She was the living image of Claire; blonde wavy hair framing bright dark eyes and a thin nose. She had Claire´s character as well.

"Dad´s been crying since you came", she was cutely indiscreet, something else she´d got from her mother.

"Maybe he´s glad I came", secretly she hoped he was.

"Maybe it´s because mom died", she pointed sadly and Emma´s heart shrank.

"Maybe…", then the tiniest sob was heard and the redhead glanced above Sam´s shoulder; Mora was watching them, her curls messy and the most heartrending look on her face, "Come here, baby"

The girl obeyed and wept silently on Emma´s chest; she had grown too, but still was tiny for a 4 year old, "Aunt…"; she still remembered her.

"I know, honey…", it was hard not breaking and just comforting the two girls in dark. "I know"

The moment seemed too short and a light cough interrupted their mutual console. It was Will.

"The service will start in a minute", he announced rather solemnly and Emma released the girls.

"Go with grandma, Sam. Take Mora with you, please", Sam nodded and held her younger sister´s hand. She would take care of her, just like Claire had taken care of Emma.

"Would you stay?", his voice was soft, maybe too soft when Emma dried her moistened cheeks.

"I told you I would", she said standing up and straightening her black skirt; she had flown 15.000 miles to see her family.

"I mean… here? In Lima?", he looked so lost and helpless.

"I don´t know", she hadn´t decided anything yet, it had only been 2 hours since she´d set a foot on American ground, "I have-"

"You have a life in Paris", he finished for her, avoiding her eyes.

"Yes", she had no life in Paris, only a job as a curator at the museum. "Let's just…", she felt that familiar emptiness in her chest, only this time a thousand times worst; Claire´s absence was causing it, "let´s just go downstairs"

"I don´t want to",

_Oh Will… _"You have to"

"No…"

"Why did you do this if you didn´t want it?", he was a man of duty but this… it was ridiculous.

"Because of Bob and Christine", he referred her parents and Emma swallowed.

"They asked you to-"

"No"

"Then it was your choice, Will"

"I feel I owned her this…", he murmured to himself and she didn´t understand what he was talking about, "but I hate it"

"Me too"

"You can stay here as long as you decide to stay in Lima", he changed topic quickly, leaving the old one behind and forgotten, "I´d love to have you here and so would the girls…"

"I, uhm, I don´t want to bother", it was the worst thing he could possibly ask her now.

"It´s no bother"

"I, uhm, my mother…"

"Please, Emma... stay", he begged with crystalline eyes and grabbed her hand as a plead.

"Will, you have things to take care of"; he would, plenty.

"I know… and that´s why I'm asking you this… And I haven´t seen you in all these years"

"Neither have my folks", she couldn´t stay; she would sleep under the same room her sister was married to and she was so in love with and this was their house. It felt… wrong. Almost adulterous. But of course it was her mind playing tricks to her; of course he wouldn´t think of this under those terms.

"Ok", he instantly dropped her hand and took a step back; her negativity hurt more than it should and Will was aware of that. She was… different. Not like the Emma that he´d met when she was 19, "I didn´t mean to push you"

She noticed it; the soreness and before thinking it twice words left her mouth, "I´ll stay", she couldn´t cause him more pain, "Maybe a week, I don´t know…"

"Really?", he was taken aback, but soon relief washed over his features and his body relaxed instantly.

"Y-yes…"

"Thank you", surprisingly, he enveloped her between his arms and sighed deeply, hugging her closer, "Thanks, Em…"

Emma gasped at the contact; _please let me go_. Only he wasn´t, "We should… maybe we should go downstairs", she really needed to escape his grasp and she did, eventually. Everything felt out of proportion; Claire´s absence, her father´s reproach, and even his touch.

Finally, their eyes locked and she found questioning in his stare "Ok"


	3. Chapter 2

**Slowly trying to introduce some flashbacks to the story… Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Aggie**

**II**

The service didn´t last long; after Emma´s words, Will decided to talk with his parent´s in law and have Claire´s funeral right away. He wasn´t made for burying people, he´d said and wanted to digest that he´d be alone from now on.

So it happened.

Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury returned to Cleveland, where they owned a big property for some years now.

"Won´t you come with us?", her father seemed surprised and not pleased.

"I promised Will I´d stay a few days with them… I´ll go see you later… On Wednesday?",

Mr. Pillsbury hated being turned down, but she was the girls´ godmother; it was the right thing to do and Will had never been so forlorn.

-XX-

"I didn´t know you could speak French so well", he delivered casually and very curious after accidentally hearing her video Skype with her boss and Sam had interrupted her. He had to drag his daughter out of the room and apologize more times than necessary.

"People speak French in France", Emma allowed herself to tease him; it was long since she had last done that and Will chuckled softly, "Will you give all these away?", she meant Claire´s dresses and clothes facing them. There was a huge closet filled with her stuff calling to be reorganized or packed.

"Unless you want to keep something"

"No", she said too fast, shaking her head; she didn´t want to remind him of his dead wife by wearing one of her summer dresses. They were too large for her any way; Claire was taller and more bosomed than her.

"You sure?", he was slightly astounded; he thought she´d have liked to keep something from her sister.

"Yes… I couldn´t… but I'd like to… take a few dresses and make something for the girls… if that´s all right with you", she could give them something special. Something for them to remember their mother.

"Take anything you want… This is all going to charity"

-XX-

"It´s odd seeing you", they would have short and uncomfortable conversations when they accidentally bumped with each other in the middle of the night; Emma was too quiet and he, too proving. And she was determinate to remain like that.

"It´s odd seeing you too", it wasn´t odd. It was just like the first day. He looked the same and yet so changed under the kitchen´s yellowish light.

* * *

"_Can I have a blueberry beer, please?", she asked to the bartender with typical politeness and Tom, the employee winked at her and poured the sweet drink in a large cup._

"_On the house, Red! For helping me with Professor Creepy Jackson…"_

"_Thanks Tom!", she giggled and spoke loud to rise her voice above the music, "Was the essay ok?"_

"_I needed a B… and I got an A, Emma; so you can have whatever you want tonight"_

_She sat alone in the bar and soon there were several scroungers asking for her number. "For the last time, no. I don´t want a drink. Thank you. I´m waiting for someone", she sighed and sipped from her glass; in the end, the boy gave up but someone else showed up, someone older, much older, "No, thank you", she declined his invitation to dance, "No, really. I´m ok", was her response to his drink offering and then his comments turned unpleasant, "that´s´ very kind, but-"_

"_Hey, baby!", a strong arm curled her shoulders and a mouth kissed her head, "Sorry it took me so long…", finally, Emma lifted her gape to find this strange handsome man talking to and smiling to her, "I met Dave and Casey… they say hi, by the way and wanted me to- Hey", the voice spoke to the man, dismissing immediately. _

"_Th-thank you", her eyes were enormous, still staring to this strange man standing next to her. His arm was no longer touching her. _

"_You´re welcome"_

"_I…", Speak! He´s looking at you with sympathy. And she certainly didn´t want that._

"_You looked seriously uncomfortable"_

"_I was. Thank you"_

"_You´re welcome", he said for the second time and they stared. He was the most gorgeous man she´d met._

"_I´m Emma", God, he´s good. I´m the one making the move. _

"_Will", he shook her offering hand and then he realized something. He had a girlfriend, but he didn´t mentioned her; he couldn´t tell why, "I´m not trying to… get your number or anything…"_

_Change that disappointed face now!, "No, no… of course… you just helped me", she stammered and took a large sip of beer, "Can I buy you a drink? As an appreciation gesture?"_

"_It´s ok. Don´t waste your money", she was a student; probably a freshmen at college. _

"_It´s on the house. The bartender owes me", she boasted playing important, "I helped him pass a class"_

"_What class?", he sat on the stool next to her, interested. _

"_Contemporary Painting"_

"_You´re an artist"_

"_No, he is… he paints… I just study painting technique and history. Are you new in Lima? I don´t think I know you", the city was a small one and even though she was out most of the year, summers were usually the time when people reunited one more time._

"_No… I´m just visiting", a beer was handed to him and Will smiled, "I wouldn´t accept this if you were paying for it"_

"_Why not?"_

"_I know how hard it is saving a couple of bucks for a beer", he chuckled and she giggled. It was the prettiest sound he´d ever heard. And they talked. Until 4 AM. Tom had to ask them to leave; he wanted to close the bar. _

"_It was nice meeting you, Will", it had been amazing; she wanted to see him again. But she was usually too shy to ask a guy on a date. But Will wasn´t a guy; he was probably 26 and Emma wasn´t used to dating men, only boys her age. _

"_Same here… good luck with college!"_

"_Yeah, you too…"_

'_Emma! Emma! Wake up! Claire is here!'_

_Mrs. Pillsbury was shrill in the morning, Emma decided, and reluctantly, she got out of bed, changed into fresh clothes, and washed her face to practically crawl downstairs where the family was gathering. She shouldn´t have stayed at the bar so late. _

"_Sister!", Claire squeezed her tiny frame in her hands and sonorously kissed both of her cheeks, "You smell terrible! Where did you go last night?", was her practical tease after rubbing her arms with affection. _

"_To Tom´s", her voice was hoarse after being drowsy for long, "come, join me to the kitchen I need some juice", the alcohol had dried her mouth. And what she found there dried it even more. _

"_Em, I want you to meet Will"_

"_H-hi", it was impossible. What was he doing there?_

"_Emma… Hi…", he sent her one goofy, slightly surprised, smile and waved his hand at her. She looked adorable; her hair was a complete mess. _

"_Wait, you know each other?", Claire was amused, her disposition was like that most of the time._

"_I met him last night", her voice was uneven and his eyes hazel and intense boring into hers._

"_She bought me a beer… there was this creep bothering her…", he had the terrible need to explain to his girlfriend why he had spent all the previous night talking with her sister. _

"_No wonder you came back so late", Claire teased him and winked at Emma, "So what you think?", the redhead didn´t follow her, "About us? Moving to Lima after the wedding?"_

_What?_

* * *

"I really hate something like this happening for you to come back", his words were nearly dragged out of his mouth and he drank the hot infusion for which he had left bed.

He was constantly saying things like that; rubbing in her face how much he´d missed her, but Emma prohibited herself reply. He was upset, a recent widow with two girls under his care; and she was his wife´s sister who used to be his friend.

"I know what you mean"

"Was Paris nice?", he asked routinely; he hadn´t asked anything about her life in Europe and it angered her. But then again, he was hurt.

"Beautiful", she only said and breathed heavily, looking around the white room and the pans hanging above the kitchen island, a few inches from her head, "I´m surprised Claire made such a great work with this kitchen"

"I did it", a brief smile curved his lips, "She wasn´t a fan of cooking"

Emma chuckled melancholically, "No wonder… At least one of you was", and he nodded, "you know you´re not alone, right?", she was trying to keep the distance, but that was no reason to leave him to his own good luck.

"I do. You being here, is making everything much more bearable"

She was glad he looked down at his cup again, because the blush on her cheeks was making her skin burn. And what was worst, the memory of Claire while old feelings stirred in her caused her heart to grovel to guilt.

-XX-

"Listen, Will… I…", _why can´t you just act like a normal person in front of him?_

"Yes, Em?"

"It´s Wednesday"

"So?", he looked confused when seeing her standing near the door with her purse and luggage, "Are you leaving?"

"Yes… I told you, remember? To my parents… the bus to Cleveland leaves in an hour", she needed to weep Claire´s dead without having his face crawling in her head.

"I see…" the disappointment in his voice was evident, "Is there... anything I can do to make you stay?"

_Why is he insisting with this_?, "Will, I haven´t seen my parents in two years…"

"I know… I´m sorry", he rubbed his neck in embarrassment, she was right, "It´s just… you´ve been such help in the past days…"

"I should have been gone by the morning… it´s 4pm now", she realized it had started again, that stupid need of pleasing every single request he´d have. And Emma was an errant person right now; she was as lost as he and needed to figure out what to do.

"Wh-Are you going back to Paris?"

"I don´t know… I don´t think so… Not now at least", it was better not mentioning her parents insistence for her to stay; she was sure he´d summon to it.

"It´d-It´d be great if you stay…"

"I don´t know what am I gonna do yet", she muttered trying to sound detached; he´d persuade her to remain there if he kept talking.

"The girls would be so happy if you do"

_Shut up_!, "I´d be happy to stay, but it´s not-"

"Then stay", he caught the selfishness in his words; but this woman had quieten the blustery in his soul just with one look.

"Please, Will, don´t make this harder for me", she begged with watery eyes, "There´s too much going on and I don´t know what it´s gonna happen yet", she was a total and utter mess, struggling to gain some distance before succumbing to irreversible despair.

"It´s harder only because you´re leaving and you don´t want to leave", he knew her so well.

"Oh, Will…", it was all she´d been saying since she got there and Emma restrained a sob.

"Will I hear from you?", he had gone too far, she was on the edge of tears, so he dropped it, "I wish you would tell me what´s going on"

"My sister died, that´s going on", it wasn´t just that and it wasn´t of his concern either, "I don´t know when I'll be back", she said too quickly seeing him lowering his gape, "I´ll text you once I get to my parent´s"

"Bye, Em", he hugged her affectionately, feeling her body tensing the minute he touched her.

"Bye, Will…"

"Would you….", she looked up to him with big bright eyes and then he let her go, "if you come back, give us a call"

"I will"

-XX-

It was a lovely July, despite the last horrid events and Emma spent the rest of the week with Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury, mostly in silence and occasionally sharing one or two talks on the deck with a glass of wine in hand.

She allowed more than a few tears to roll down her cheeks at Claire´s memory; if only she had come back earlier… Maybe she could have seen her and talked to her, instead of running away. She was remorseful that it was a man that motived her to head off to another continent; but the torment their happiness caused her, ashamed her deeply; leaving was the only reasonable option to refugee herself with those new, terrible feelings love had dared to awaken in her.

She could tell what a deep scar Claire had engraved on them, but also Emma was aware she was making them blossom when she was around.

"You´re changed, sweetheart", her mom mumbled late and tired, "Paris has changed you"

"I´m the same", she was as miserable as months before moving to Paris; that was the reason she had taken a plane and believed some new air would renew her spirit. That was why she had left and now, back at home, her darkest facade turned visible and obvious. No one knew the joyful, lively side of her in the French capitol; no one had to mention she looked different. Here, everybody could tell.

"You look sad"

"Claire´s dead", _And there are old wounds hurting_.

"That´s not what I mean, Ems", his mother was tender, "Are you happy in Paris?"

"As happy as I can be… Seeing you made me happy",_ And seeing Will made me more miserable that I´ve ever been._ "I talked to Monsieur Boullettte", she meant her boss, "I´ll see to him once I'm back in Paris… I don´t think I can stay there, mum"

"I don´t think we want you so far away"

"My flight leaves on Sunday morning. There´re things I need to solve there", _leaving my job, my apartment, closing this chapter in my life._

"Have you talked to Antoine?"

"You know I haven´t, mum…", Emma rolled her eyes; there wouldn´t be a day when Mrs. Pillsbury wasn´t trying to hook her up.

"He seemed to be a good man", she trailed hoping her daughter would reveal what had happened.

"He was", but she didn´t.

"I´m sorry it didn´t work out"

"It never did for me".

"Oh, honey, I don´t remember you acting like this…"

"I´ll be ok, mum"

-XX-

She left in the end.

Her Parisian apartment was just like she´d left it almost ten days ago, and so was her desk at the office in the museum.

Monsieur Boullette was expecting her with a compassionate and warm welcome smile. But his grin faded away when she stated she´d permanently go back to the USA. Briefly, the redhead explained the situation taking place there and apologized more times than necessary before leaving the printed renounce on his hands.

"I can stay a week or two until you find a replacement", she told him in perfect French; that would be enough time to get everything ready and packed for the moving.

Before definitely leaving the city, Emma gave Edith a white cat she had adopted and recommended her to the building board to be the next tenant for her apartment (Edith had always envied it). And then, as quick as a blink, she was disembarking in Cleveland airport, the only place in the US she consider safer than Lima. Will lived in Lima.

A few weeks were needed for her to received two curious e-mails. One was sent by some Thomas Anderson, an Art gallery owner from Toledo; the other one was from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art director. Apparently, Monsieur Boullette had made a few phone calls for her.

Mr. Anderson seemed like the best option right now and after the interview, a week later, Emma decided it was a nice city. It was a part time job; the little flow of visits the gallery got was the reason her services would be required only three times a week. It was the most solid offer she had, but not a strong reason to rent an apartment there … and Kansas was absolutely out of the question. What was the point of moving to the States to be close to her parents if she´d live 6 hours away from them?

Then she got a call from Mrs. Katie Reynolds, Ohio State University Lima Dean and also the first woman who allowed her to babysit her kids, when Emma was only 15. Katie had always been a busy woman and despite her tight schedule, she called her personally and offered a position as Art Department director.

"I´ve heard only good comments of you, personally, and if that´s not enough for you, working in Paris is remarkable. You´re qualified, Emma, I assure you"

Who would have guessed things could be so easy? The redhead laughed, not believing her luck; this was most certainly out of the ordinary.

The only problem of working in State University Lima was exactly that.

Lima.


	4. Chapter 3

**III**

"It´s better having you three hours away than having you in another continent", Mr. Pillsbury declared rather grumpily when Emma announced she´d be moving to Lima in a month.

"I don´t know anyone in Toledo… Lima is just a halfway city between us… and Sam and Mora are in Lima…", she explained calmly, although in some way, she was seriously doubting her judgment.

"Oh, stop it, Bob… Your daughter is here. Be thankful for it", Mrs. Pillsbury reprimanded him and then talked to Emma, "Do you have a house yet?"

"I´ve seen a few apartments", but she was more concerned about buying a car; how was she supposed to get to Toledo without one?

"What´s worrying you?", Bob could read her like an open book.

"I need to get a car", maybe she could take a loan and buy a used one once she was settled in Lima.

"Take the old Volvo", he said like he was giving her a cup of sugar.

"Dad, no!"

"Take it, Emma", he insisted, "we don´t use it since we got the Mercedes and there´re no interested buyers. Take it"

"I´ll pay for it"

"Once you get the money, we´ll see if we want it"

"Dad, no… "

"Emma…", he warned with narrowed eyes and she thanked him with a smile and a kiss on his cheek, "that´s better. Now, tell me about Katie, how´s she?"

-XX-

Her new apartment was comfy and big enough for two people, located uptown conveniently near the Mall and 20 blocks from Will´s.

It took her a couple of weeks to have everything ready and habitable, especially because Emma was finicky when it came to her things and order.

She found herself reaching that phase where pictures were needed. Pictures of her and Claire; but discovering she had none from the past two years placed a thorn in her heart.

There was a fireplace which she only intended to adorn with framed photographs.

A tall always exuberant blonde Claire, giving a young, petite Emma a piggy-back to climb on top of a cherry tree.

Claire in her wedding dress, radiant and beautiful with a 20 year old Emma by her side and tears on her cheeks.

And Emma holding Mora in her arms, Claire sitting by her side with Sam, reaching to take her Aunt´s hand.

She held one where Will was covering her eyes the day she turned 21, Claire clapping by her side; but she didn´t dare to place it with the rest. Instead, Emma returned it to the box with the others. It was inappropriate and she couldn´t cope with the anguish it caused her.

Finally, the couch cushioned her tired body and Emma looked around; the place had a lovely aspect but the apprehension her old city aroused in her was noticeable.

Could she do this? Could she ever get used to Claire´s absence? Could she bump into him without the feelings she had kept buried erupting once more?

The phone ringing insistently pulled her out of the whirl of emotions.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Emma?"

"Sam?", the little girl´s voice worked as an electricity shock, "Are you ok?"

"Erm, yes…", she seemed hesitant and Emma could hear the TV on at the background.

"What´s going on?"

"Can you come home?"

"Where´s your dad?"

"In bed…", her voice was close to a whisper, "I need your help. I have a play tomorrow"

"Ok…", maybe Will was sick.

"And I have no costume to wear. Dad said he´d help me, but I think he forgot… and I don´t-"

"I´ll be right there, sweetheart"; she wasted no time to grab the Volvo keys and drove to Will´s house.

Just climbing out of the vehicle revealed something was not ok.

It was late and the porch lights were off and the lawn needed some work.

As soon as she knocked on the door, Sam was opening it.

"You came!"

"Of course I did. Sam, you can´t open the door if you don´t know who-"

"I saw you through the window", she smiled and took her hand to bring her in, "Mora´s watching cartoons"

Emma looked around the living room and the kitchen as her niece dragged her in, "Did you guys have dinner?", she asked trying to sound casual.

"Dad ordered pizza", she commented with monotony.

Apparently that was all they´d been eating in the last week; the cartons were pilled next to the trash can, "I tell you what, why don´t you go and take a shower and then I´ll help you?", the girl seemed suspicious, "Take Mora with you, I´ll clean the kitchen and then we can start"

Slightly displeased, Sam climbed upstairs with her sister and Emma followed them after making sure there was no more food remains on the kitchen island.

It was half past nine when she called his name after poking her head in his bedroom.

"Will…?", she called again, silently letting herself in, "Wi-"

"Em…", it was like a lightening had hit him. "…what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing…", she delivered softly, taking a few steps towards him. The stubble was dark on his chin and cheeks, "Will, what´s going on?"

"No… you-you didn´t have to come", he sat up, highly embarrassed and ran his fingers through his thick curls, trying to look decent.

"Sam told me you were in bed, I thought you were sick", she lied not wanting to blame him for being depressed.

"I´m fine", he looked at her with a serious expression and then, suddenly, his arms were around her, "Em…"

It jerked her. His sudden springing. And Emma gasped. "Will, I…"

"Thank you for coming… God knows what you must think about me-"

"I don´t think anything about you", she reassured him, stroking his shoulder with trembling hand, "Why didn´t you say you needed help?"

"I…", he was deeply humiliated.

"I´ll take care of the girls, you take a shower…"

"It´s late, Emma"

"I don´t care, you need it and I can´t leave you like this"

"I don´t know what I'd do without you"

-XX-

She thought he´d get out of his bedroom, dust himself off and move on. But he didn´t. And she felt terribly sorry for him. He was crushed and his pain was directly tearing her soul. Seeing him like that, Emma realized how deep his love was and wondered if he´d ever recover from the lost.

She selflessly hoped he would; it was worse witnessing Will like that than married to her sister. So Emma stayed with them.

Waking up the girls, making breakfast for them and helping them clean the house. In the meantime, Will laid and found comfort in her arms. But nothing more.

She went to work and come back only to stumble in on dirty dishes and dirty laundry.

She even took Sam shopping for the school equipment and Mora for a haircut.

After of having multiple lonely dinners with the girls and not seeing him leave his bedroom for a week, Emma felt he was playing games with her. He wasn´t actually, but wherever his willpower was Emma wouldn´t know.

"This can´t continue anymore, Will… you have to go to work", she said one particular morning, after Sam had spilled syrup sauce all over the kitchen floor. Emma was at the verge of frustrated tears and Sam had cried inconsolably. The girls needed their dad.

"I´m taking bereavement time, Emma. I told you…", he was walking across his untidy bedroom, occasionally looking through the window and then back at her.

"Well, this is not why I decided to help you… I can´t do everything for you" he said nothing, but glanced at her sticky, syrup covered hands and Emma fumed, "you have two beautiful girls downstairs, asking about their father. It´s your responsibility, Will!"

"What do you want, Emma?", their eyes deadlocked and she couldn´t figure out what she saw; his eyes were hooded, but there was no anger in them. He appeared to be accruing repentance and guilt, "Are you here to criticize everything I do?"

"No-wh-A-are you serious? I want you to get the hell off that bed and start doing what you gotta! You know I´ve found Sam braiding Mora´s hair in the morning, because she had no one else to do it for her? She´s six! Six! And she´s taking care of her sister because you´ve been lying there for more than a week! You know why I came?", he remained quiet, looking at her burst in fury, "because she called me! She called me because she had a play and no one to help her with the costume…"

"So you´re basically saying I´m a negligent father…", he pondered tilting his head aside.

"Recently? Yes, you are"

"So, you come here, after two years and tell me I'm not doing what I'm supposed to?"

"Don´t turn this to me, Will"

"Claire named you their godmother and you left them", he continued, upset now, but mostly because she had left him as well.

"I got a job, Will. Don´t attack me for leaving… Now I´m here because I promised Claire I'd take care of them if something happened to her", _How this happened to be something against me_? She had done nothing wrong, "So don´t blame me for leaving… you and her were here, you didn´t need me"

"You didn´t get a job, Emma. You ran away"

_Whoa, where is this coming from_?

"I don´t know from whom but you ran… I talked to your dad… he told me you were unemployed for months"

"That´s none of your business. I´m here, ok? And if you don´t start doing your job, I´ll leave and God help you when that happens"

"What, are you gonna call the Social Worker?", he was mocking her now and Emma pursed her lips. She didn´t want to fight him, but he was being unfair.

"I can´t stand seeing you like this...", she whispered in a murmur, her gape dropping to the floor; she couldn´t even look at him, "Just… stop with the self-pity. Please… You have two daughters that love you, don´t give up on them", she took a seat on the edge of the bed, he looked seriously depressed and Emma bled inside, "Please, Will… Stop this"

"I´m sorry, Emma", and he sat by her side, the mattress plunging beneath them.

"Don´t apologize to me… ", he didn´t own her anything, but appreciated his excuse.

"I´m sorry I´ve been keeping you locked here doing things you didn´t have to…", gently and as he always did, he treasured her hand between his and stared at the redhead with deep sweetness and honesty, "And I´m sorry I upset you".

"You didn´t keep me locked", she had chosen to remain there, "Don´t-don´t apologize", she shook her head and got up, releasing his hold in the process, "It´s Wednesday… Sam has skating class in an hour"

"Yes… and Mora´s kindergarten meeting starts at 5", she sent him a swift grin and grabbed her purse, "you´ll leave?"

"Yes… have things to do"

"I-"

"Bye, Will… I´ll call you in a couple of days.. I´ve got.. things to take care of"

"Will you come this Sunday?", she looked doubtful, "It´s Sam´s competition… the last of the summer"

"She mentioned something…"

"It´d be great if you come"

"Ok, I´ll be there", she wanted to be there for them, she´d promised Claire she´d look out for them.

-XX-

"Aunt, you came!", Sam slid across the skating ring towards them and hugged Emma with true sheer.

"Hey, Sam", she returned the greet and observed Will and Mora behind her, "Hey, sweetie", she meant Mora and Will nodded at her, "Hi, Will…"

"Thanks for coming, Em", he gave her one quick squeeze, "It´s good to see you"

She smiled weakly and followed him to the tiers, "Are you ok?"

"Much better", he reassured her, placing his free hand on the small of her back, and whispered, "I´m sorry".

"It´s ok"

"No, it´s not. I shouldn´t have acted like-"

"Please, Will, Sam is about to start", she begged not really wanting to discuss the business.

"You´ve helped me so much… Have dinner with us tonight", he grabbed her hand, unintentionally brushing her hip and Emma shivered.

"I have to wake up early in the morning", it was true; very early indeed.

"We can order food", he insisted and tried to find her evading stare, "It´s not like I´m gonna keep you with us all night"

"Will, I-"

"Please don´t be mad at me", he almost pleaded and lowered his gaze when she finally dared to meet it, "I know I said stupid things"

"I´m not mad at you"

"You´re hurt… I didn´t mean to-"

"I´m not hurt", she wasn´t. Not because of their little dispute, at least.

"Then what´s going on?", he couldn´t title the way she looked at him; it worried him, "There´s something going on I don´t quite understand"

* * *

_He´d always known how to get to her; it was the way her eyes settled on him that told Will something was going on._

"_You ok, Em?", he asked after a particular copious meal at her parents; she had been quiet most of the evening, "you look… distracted" _

"_Oh, don´t worry, Will. I´m fine", not long she´d been hiding things from him; strange thing to do, because as soon as they´d met Emma had been nothing but honest to him; she couldn´t now. He´d be a dad for the second time in a few months and Claire was thrilled; their marriage was on its tracks. She couldn´t tell him she was jealous, and she felt guilty because of it. _

"_Is School ok?", she nodded and rose the fork to her lips, taking a piece of carrot into her mouth, "Is it a boy, Em?"; she almost chocked and he sent her a bowed grin; it was supposed to be one of his characteristic lopsided smiles, but it came out more as a grim, "did he do anything to you?"_

"_No! It´s not-it´s not a boy", Will cocked an eyebrow, signifying he wasn´t buying it, "Don´t worry, Will, everything´s fine", she was old enough to take care of herself. _

"_If it´s a boy making you miserable, Em…", he seemed deep in thought, "What did he do?"_

_Oh, Will… "He did nothing, really. And you don´t have to worry about me, I told you"_

"_Maybe I can´t help it", he splattered and Emma´s cheeks colored furious red, "I worry about you because I care… Is that wrong?"_

"_N-no", her head shook repeatedly, "It´s just… I don´t know"_

"_Sometimes I wish you told me things… I don´t like guessing with you, Emma", was his cute scolding, "Lately I don´t know what you´re thinking_"

* * *

"I´d like Tai", she stated hoping to end the conversation; he´d start asking questions and she didn´t want to answer any of them.

"Tai is perfect"

-XX-

"Will you go to therapy if you need it?", she asked when he came back after putting the girls in bed; lately she spent many evenings with them, "there´s nothing wrong with seeing a Doctor if you can´t get over Claire´s passing away"

"Same goes to you", he said with a reassuring smile and Emma blushed, "I don´t think I'll need it, tho"

"Will, you spent a week locked in your bedroom… ", she couldn´t believe he was so stubborn, but of course he was; Emma remembered it. He had been stubborn all his life, "And now you´re basically saying you´re ok?"

"I´m trying to get over it… I know I will, soon", it had been five months since he was alone with Sam and Mora, and having Emma by his side made everything much more tolerable, "It´s not that it´s gonna be easy…", he added quickly realizing he was talking about her sister, "But, erm, sometimes I find myself thinking what´d have happened if she stayed here instead of going to Chicago"

"You know how serious she took work…", she watched him rub his forehead and exhale a deep sonorous amount of air. _Please don´t do this to yourself._

"Claire going to Chicago had nothing to do with work, Emma"

_What?_

**A/N: Sorry for leaving such a cliff! Next chapter will be here soon! Thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 4

**Thanks a lot for your lovely reviews! And hope you enjoy this chapter and find it a little 'informative'!**

**Aggie**

**IV**

He wouldn´t tell her what he was talking about.

That was why Emma left, her heart trapped in her throat, a bitter-sweet taste on her tongue.

"Will, I…"

They had been talking recently; a lot. Mostly about his plans for the office now that he was an associate partner at Reed & Tollin´s firm.

Now, though, he´d erected a giant impassable wall Emma couldn´t infringe. It was curious how things had transposed.

It was her trying to make him talk and asking them to come over for some coffee or milk and cookies.

It was stronger than her; the necessity to know what he meant by his words. And for a moment, the worst possible scenario clouded her mind.

Maybe he´d cheated on Claire; that´d be the reason she was driving to Chicago so late on a working day.

_No… he couldn´t_… He wouldn´t do that. _He´s sweet and honest and a good man…_ But then again, Emma had no idea. She´d been gone for two years…

If she pushed her memory hard enough and considered how they first met, she had reasons to think maybe there was someone else.

_No… He was just helping me… _

He had said that and afterwards, across the years, he never gave her a reason to have a bad opinion about him. Rather the opposite, as years went by she discovered the sweet, gentle, playful man he was and she had fallen for him; for every single stupid attitude, even for his flaws, the stubbornness, the bad temper when he couldn't get what he wanted, and the inflexibility.

Emma had never met any of Will´s girl friends… as far as she knew she was the only woman he talked to. And he was the only man who knew her so much and so well… Maybe she shouldn´t have let that happen. He was a married man she was emotionally bonded to; to her brother in law.

-XX-

Once in a while, she´d take flowers to Claire's grave. Autumn colored the landscape with ocher and russet and there were hints of dawning grey and wintry gust as December loomed.

She wasn´t a cemetery person, but in some way it had helped her cope with her absence. She was used to it, though; it had been two years without seeing her or talking to her. But now, being back in Lima, proved force of habit was deep-rooted in her core because even now she´d expect to see her jogging around the Park.

And then she´d run into Will in the street and all those feelings would arouse again, feelings of guilt and adoration and longing; especially when she´d digest the fact that her sister would no longer be around her.

Maybe she was fated to loneliness; in all those years no man could make her pulse speed up with just a blink. And she was certain there´d only be one.

And that one was openly avoiding her.

"Bye, Claire", she whispered leaving a yellow rose in the vase; strangely and since Will last 'confession', Emma didn´t need to stop by the cemetery every two weeks, "I´ll come back soon", she didn´t know when; perhaps when she need it, or next summer, "I´ll look after the girls for you"

And then she spun around to leave; only to find Will standing a few feet away, watching her.

He beckoned at her, his body wrapped with a thick camel coat; Emma waved back and walked to him, lip being nibbled, her cheeks flushing in intense red.

"Hi", she whispered once there was no distance amid them; she hadn´t seen him in the past days and it felt like an eternity. He looked fine, taller, composed, and without a word, he encircled his arms around her. _Why does he always do this_? She felt she was the only mainstay his body had in this world. And her chest swelled under the ambitious thought. "I…"

"I´m sorry I´ve been avoiding you", he said bluntly not letting her go.

"I… You were avoiding me?", it was obvious he had been and he chuckled in her hair, "I thought you were busy"

"I wasn´t"

"Oh…", he was holding her too close and for a moment, air missed her lungs; they were in the cemetery, where Claire was buried. "I, uhm, Will…"

"Can we get some coffee?", he asked suddenly, as If reading her thoughts, resting his hands on her shoulders to look at her.

"It´s… I… ", it was ridiculous; when she wanted to be near him, he was distant. Now he was asking for her company, Emma shied away.

"Please?"

She nodded, although there was doubt in her eyes, "Ok".

-XX-

"I didn´t mean to keep things from you"

Sometimes Emma couldn´t understand his constant need to tell her everything on his mind. Even when he was married to Claire, he´d ask her for a drink and talk about his darkest fears and secrets and Emma had always being willing to listen to any problem he might have and in return tell him her own. That was until she realized the charade was no longer sustainable and she had fled.

"Will, you… you don´t have to tell me everything", she wished he wasn´t so open; that way it´d be easier to protect herself from him, "now I think we should have kept things from each other in the past"

"Why do you say that?", for a moment he looked hurt, but then his eyes softened, "You were my friend"

"I don´t know… You…", she gulped and stirred her coffee, visibly nervous, "You said something the other day"

"Yes"

"What did you mean?", for a second or two, Will said nothing and Emma pushed him again, "What did you mean when you said Claire going to Chicago had nothing to do with her job?"

"Don´t be mad at me…", he asked softly; she didn´t comprehend, "I feel so guilty"

And then her eyes enlarged, "Wha-Will, what did you do?".

"No! Nothing!", he puffed nearly horrified, "No, it´s not what you´re thinking!"

"Then why would you feel guilty?", feeling relief, her voice was a whisper.

"Claire and I were getting a divorce", he put out at last and Emma stopped breathing.

"Wh-what?". _Oh no_… This couldn´t possibly be worse. She didn´t know if the tickles on her neck were supposed to be there, not even what was causing them; whether it was guilt, a trace of optimism or censure.

"Things were not ok between us… we got by with it for almost two years. Until we talked…We hadn´t had an honest conversation since our wedding…"

"Will… I… I don´t know what to say", the thumps in her chest didn´t let her put more than two words together.

"We tried to make it work… but we couldn´t. It just happened. We grew distant, despite the girls", he was blushing madly, hiding his face beneath his palms and Emma understood the origin of his guilt, "She was on her way to Chicago, where she´d meet this good family lawyer. We agreed it was the best for us and for Sam or Mora… I mean what right did we have to lie to them?"

"I…. It wasn´t your fault"

"I feel unworthy… I don´t want those things…", Emma furrowed not very sure if she followed his thought, "I don´t want her condo in New York, or her money… I don´t want her car… All of that was supposed to be hers… we were getting a divorce!"

"Oh, Will…"

"I don´t want any of that. It was hers. You should have it… or your parents. You deserve it more than I do. You didn´t steal ten years of her life. I lied to her"

"You and the girls were her family. And Will, you didn´t lie to her"

"I promised I'd love her and I didn´t"

"She made that promise as well", his eyes were glossy, steamed with tears, "all the things she left you… keep them for Sam and Mora"

"I will… you can make use of them whenever you want too", her head shook, she didn´t need those things, "I mean it"

"Me too… is this… why you were so upset when she died?"

"Yes"

"Do mum and dad know about this?"

"I don´t know… I guess Claire mentioned… You had no idea, did you?"

Her head shook again, "I only talked to her the first year I was in Paris"

"I know… have I shaken you?", she was shocked, not really knowing how to feel or process his revelation, "I´m so-"

"No… I, uhm, I'm just surprised…"

"I loved Claire, Emma. I loved her very much… I don´t want you to think I didn´t…", the redhead tried to speak, she wanted to hear no more, "She gave me Sam and Mora, but I guess in the end she wasn´t my true love and I certainly wasn't hers"

She said nothing for a while.

He´d said too much and she wasn´t ready to deal with it; she wasn´t ready to deal with the butterflies flapping their wings so violently in her stomach. Intruder butterflies; she was still mourning her sister.

"I´m sorry", she collected the courage to speak again without bursting into tears, "I´m sorry things didn´t work out for you"

"I didn´t mean to upset you", he caught her troubled stare, "I just… I felt I owned you this"

"You didn´t- It´s… a lot to take in"

"I´m sorry I can´t keep things from you", he displayed a shy asking forgiveness smile and Emma lightened up a little, "I wish you´d tell me what´s worrying you"

"Nothing´s worrying me", she denied calmly, but sipped from her cup to avoid talking again. But Will was no fool. He knew her and he knew the redhead was lying.

"Suppose there isn´t-"

"Will, please… I´m just… Can we talk about something else?"

His eyebrows creased; she´d never pushed him away like that, "Ok. Christmas. I´m thinking about asking your parents to come"

"You are?", he was really thoughtful and surprise invigorated her eyes.

"Of course. I like them and the girls will be happy to see them. You´ll come, right?"

"I… ", his expectation was obvious; he wanted her to be there and so did she; it´d be the first Christmas she spend with her family, "Yes, I´ll come"

-XX-

Schuester´s residence was beautifully decked out, glistering in green and red, with little bells hanging from random corners and garlands snaking around the banister and fireplace.

It was absolutely lovely. Homey and warm.

"You came!", Mora was particularly nuzzling that evening when greeting her grandparents and aunt, "Hi"

"Hello, sweetheart", Emma kissed her cheek and found herself fighting for balance when the girl climbed to her arms for her to lift her, "You ok?", the girl nodded against her neck and she kissed her again, "Say hi to grandpa and granny"

"Hi", Mora planted a kiss on each of their cheeks and then whispered to her aunt, "Dad´s in the kitchen"

"Let´s go find him then… Are you excited Santa´s coming tonight?", another nod and Emma worried about her; she was being exceptionally shy and retreating towards the rest of the family, "Honey, are you ok?", a second nod and Emma held her tighter while entering the kitchen, "Hi, Will"

"Hey, Em! Merry Christmas!", he had that boyish smile on his lips when seeing the Pillsbury's walking in, "Bob, Christine! Hi…"

"Hello, son", Mr. Pillsbury hugged his son in law and so did Mrs. Pillsbury, "Turkey, uh?"

"Yes and veggies…And frites for the girls. Mora, get off Aunt Emma", he reprimand seeing his daughter clinging onto her.

"Leave her, Will.. It´s ok", Emma shook her head and then talked to her niece, "do you wanna help me take the presents out of the car? Santa was at home earlier…"

"Ok"

"Come on, let´s put your coat on before going outside", she left the room, not after sending Will a 'we-need-to-talk' glance on her way out. Something was definitely wrong.

But that night wasn´t the night and soon, conversation flowed naturally.

Dinner was delicious and Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury enjoyed watching Sam sing carols, waiting until the clock hit twelve.

"Let me do the dishes", Emma asked watching Will finish the dirty plates and trays.

"I don´t mind doing it…"

"Will, come on…", she insisted stepping by his side, "You cooked! The least I can do is-"

"Keep me company and maybe help me put these on the shelves", he smirked seeing her snort in amusement.

She walked behind him, Sam´s voice melodious and soft as they moved across the narrow hall. "How was Christmas in Paris?"

"Lonely", she admitted with melancholy, "But that´s when the Eiffel Tower shines the most"

"I´d like to see it someday", he muttered standing on his tiptoes to place the porcelain tray on top of the furniture.

"Maybe you will", the air he released when going back to his standing position reached her and Emma gulped. He was too close.

* * *

"_Oh, Will, stop it!", she shrieked between giggles, "You´ll spill your drink on me!"_

_He was spinning her around the living room, tipsy as never, "C´mon, Em! Dance!", his laugh was infectious and when she closed her eyes, giddy after all the twists, he ceased his movements. "Are you ok?"_

"_You made me dizzy", she said breathing unevenly, staring at him with big, longing eyes._

"_You drank too much", and she didn´t use to drink, despite her 22 years._

"_Mistletoe!", one of the fellow called and they looked at each other, "C´mon! Mistletoe isn´t just for lovers!"_

_She couldn´t tell who had leaned forward first, but soon their lips touched; lightly, but it was enough to shake her mere foundations and send heat through every secluded corner of her body. That and his hands on her hips. _

"_Da-da!", one year old Sam toddled and clung onto one of his legs and Will bent down to collect the baby._

"_You want a kiss too, young lady?"_

* * *

"I have something for you", he had waited until everyone else had opened their presents and had a minute alone with her.

"Will, you didn´t have to get me anything"

"Technically, I didn´t buy it", he said with a smirk, handing her a little black box which Emma stared nonplussed.

It was a ring jewelry box.

"Wh-what is that…?"

"Open it"

"I don´t dare"

He laughed and put the little box in her hands, "C´mon, Em! Open it… it´s yours…", sluggishly, the redhead fondled with it and obeyed his request, her eyes growing larger as finding what was in it, "Claire wanted you to have it"

"I can´t accept this", she shook her head, her chest warming and stinging at the same time. It was her grandmother´s wedding ring.

"Sure you can", he withdraw his hands when she tried to return the gift, "It´s yours Emma"

"No, it was Claire´s", she couldn´t take her sister´s wedding ring, it was wrong by all means, "Grandma gave it to her when she-when you proposed to her. It´s supposed to be for Sam… or Mora"

"Claire didn't want it; she never used it, actually… I bought her a new one", he let out a light chuckle and spoke locking eyes with her, "Em, she knew how much you loved this ring; she wanted to give it to you and she was going to… this Christmas; she told me she would"

"No… No, Will...", she couldn´t accept it; _but Oh, Claire… you knew…_

"She even refused to make it bigger for her finger…", gently he took the silver halo from her fingers and held her hand between his, "she knew it´d fit perfect in yours"

"No, no…", she mumbled when realizing what he was about to do; he´d put the ring on her, "no, Will… Ple-"

It slid down her annular finger effortlessly. Claire was right.

"See? It looks just right", her hand was white and the whitest hand he´d seen and the glittering made it look even paler, "Perfect fit"

Emma blinked once, twice; there was too much light blinding her eyes and there shouldn´t. "I-I don't think I should keep it"

"Why not?"

"I… I wouldn´t use it", she whispered softly, _I won´t ever get married_.

"You will… you´re using it right now", he didn´t let go her and Emma blushed, "It´s yours, Em"

"Will.. I… I can´t-"

"This ring is not staying here anymore", he sentenced firmly, although he was grinning, closing the box and placing it in her other hand, "So, don´t argue"

"You´re stubborn"

"So are you"


	6. Chapter 5

**Attempting to add a little about Will´s perspective... Hope you like this! Next chapter will be here soon!**

**Aggie**

**V**

When spring gave pace to summer and Lima´s streets recovered their true colors, Emma drove to Cleveland for a weekend under the pretext she needed more green and nature. She needed no such thing, though.

She needed to get away from Will for a while. And not because he was suffocating her, but because his presence had become outright necessary and Emma knew she couldn´t be at his constant disposal.

"You´ll drive so late?", his voice was nervous on the speaker when she told him she was leaving in an hour. It was 7.30.

"Uhm, yes… the roads are safe and I don´t want to miss a night there"

"Why don´t you take the bus, Em? It´s safer…", he sounded uneasy about her imminent departure.

"Because I don´t want to miss a night…", she said again with a sigh and a smile, "I'll be ok"

He remained silence for a while and then spoke quietly, "I don´t want you to go"

"What?", she almost laughed; lately he´d said those things to her and it made Emma nervous; she didn´t know how to take them.

"It´s dangerous"

"I´ll call you when I get home", her voice was soft, his concern was somehow sweet, "I have to go… I haven´t, uhm, finished packing", and she hung up; thank God she was leaving, his fraternal care and attention left her breathless.

-XX-

Spending time at the loving country house brought Emma to a state of mind she thought she´d lost.

To peaceful and quietness; the breeze washed her body away, the books she´d carried distracted her eddy mind, and her parents´ displays of affection feed her spirit with the care she´d lack for months.

She had a long conversation with her mother; conversations Mrs. Pillsbury couldn´t wait to have. Sometimes she was subtle, other times she was snoopy, causing Emma to burst into laughter; but that occasion, it was the redhead proving her mother. There was something that had been bugging her since Will´s confession. And despite knowing she should keep a proper distance (for her heart´s sake) she couldn´t.

"Did you know about… Claire´s marriage?", the night was serene; Mr. Pillsbury was watching an old Marlon Brandon movie.

"What?"

"About her… She wasn´t doing ok with Will", _why are you sweating_? Maybe it was a bad idea; her comment had made her mother nervous.

"Erm, she said something…", she took a sip of her wine and Emma furrowed at her. She knew.

"Something?", there was unbelief in her voice, "Mum, there never was 'something' with Claire", when her sister decided to share a piece of her life, she´d share all of it.

"She told me about it"

"Why didn't you tell me?", her voice was close to a whisper; suddenly, Emma felt she was breaking some sort of family secret.

"It wasn´t my place, Ems…"

"'_It wasn´t_'-", Emma stopped herself and breathed hard, "Why didn´t Claire say anything?"

"You´re upset"

"Yes, I am. I wish someone had talked to me", she was offended; everyone always treated her like a little girl; a little girl who needed protection. Her mother, Claire, Will…

"Why? It´s not like you could have prevented it"

"My own sister didn´t trust me?", she snorted. Ok, she´d left, but at least someone could have talked to her.

"She did… she wrote you a letter; she was surprised you didn´t answer it"

"She wrote to me?", her mother nodded, "I never got any letter"

"She thought you were disappointed"

"Oh, God… I could never…", she would have been surprised, but that? She didn´t think so…, "Why would I?"

"Maybe because you loved her and Will so much"

"I´m not in a position to criticize a marriage", she pointed sadly and Mrs. Pillsbury kissed her cheek.

"She thought…"

"What?"

"She thought you´d take sides", the old woman put out in a murmur.

"What?!", she was horrified; she couldn´t do such thing.

"She knew how fond you were of Will… still are", her voice was cautious, tentatively taking her hand.

"Mum, no… I couldn´t-", she could… so easily. Maybe Claire knew her too well.

"You´ve been a great sister to her, sweetheart. The best sister", her mother looked at her with strange eyes and Emma gulped.

"I… I wasn't", she had dreamed of being with her brother in law for too many nights. She had secretly hoped someday they would be together.

"You were… you wanted the best for her; even though the best for her was also the best for you", the redhead ´s neck burned and suddenly she was shaking, "and you let her have him"

_How did you know?,_ "Mum…", she sobbed and hid her face with her hands, feeling ashamed and stupid. And so immoral.

"A mother always knows"

_And reads minds_

"That´s why I left", she sniffed and Christine grabbed her wrists and pulled them away to look at her.

"I know", she understood.

"I´m sorry I left"

"You had reasons. You´re here, though. Still here, I mean", her daughter nodded and she couldn´t help but ask, "Are you over him?"

"I´ve missed you", she avoided her question and her mother guessed the answer again.

"And him?"

"Terribly. My days were dark when I was away"

"And now?"

"Some days are sunny", she pondered sadly; she made her happy, and her father, and Mora and Sam; she loved the little ones with all of her heart.

"You deserve more than grief for a lost lover", she wanted nothing more than for her daughter to be with the man she loved; whoever that was.

"He was never my lover", she had imagined he was; more than once; even though he was married, and a father.

"You know what I mean"

"I tried, mum… so hard…", _I swear I did_, "All my relationships were a total fiasco. I don´t think there´s someone else besides him for me… And I hate myself for that. I want to be happy, mum. I want a family"

"You have a family", her mother whispered; although she knew her daughter wanted her own family. "Why don´t you ask Will about that letter?", perhaps it was time to change the subject; Emma looked utterly upset, "If you never got it, maybe it was returned to her"

"I don´t know if I can handle that…", suddenly, her phone buzzed and she pressed the screen when seeing there was a new text.

_You didn´t let me know when you got there_.

"It´s Will"

-XX-

Sometimes, they´d talk about Paris. He was very curious about her life there. He was nearly prying and the initial shock his lack of interest caused her was now eclipsed by his constant questions and prodding.

Not too many months had to pass for him to begin with the little questions and guessing.

"You´re acting mysteriously", he declared with a wink while swinging Mora, one from each arm; her giggles and squeals were contagious, but neither of them was laughing.

"I'm not", she denied him, her head shaking timidly and smiling at Sam who was displaying her best pirouettes for them.

"And you´re a terrible liar", he mocked and then seriousness returned, "Why do I feel there´s something constantly tormenting you?"

"There´s not"

"I thought you´d be changed if I ever saw you again… that Paris would change you. But you have the same troubled look you had the day you left"

* * *

_Chubby tears drew two trails of wetness down her cheek as she hugged her mother and father. Mr. Pillsbury looked upset and his wife, heartbroken. When it was Claire's turn to hug her sister, Emma whispered something in her ear and his wife held her even tighter._

"_Do you have to go?", his question was choked and the redhead nodded, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. The news of Emma´s departure was phoned the night before and Will still couldn't get out of his bewilderment. "Why didn´t you tell me?"_

"_I-I have to get on the plane", she sobbed and kissed his cheek, lingering a little before pulling away. _

"_Em…", he didn´t understand. It was like something was extinguishing and he felt lost. "When are you coming back?" _

"_I don´t know", and judging by the look in her eyes, she had no idea. _

"_Don´t be a stranger"_

* * *

"Don´t you trust me?", sometimes he wondered if she did and his voice broke slightly. She´d been a stranger the moment she had climbed on to that plane.

"Of course I do…", she would tell him everything, if that didn´t put in danger what they had, or the girls.

"Something happened to you? Someone hurt you, Emma?", sometimes he feared the worst.

"No... I, uhm, I hurt someone", he sensed her distress, but let her speak, "but that´s not the reason I´m acting… mysteriously, as you called it"

"So, you _are_ acting weird…", he nodded and she blushed, "Who did you hurt?"

"Antoine"

"Who´s Antoine?", he sounded a tad nervous; or curious. Emma couldn´t tell.

"I dated him. We lived together… It didn´t last long"

"What happened?", he wanted to know about the man who had failed in loving her; it was ridiculous, who wouldn´t love her? She was better than any other woman he´d met.

"It wasn´t working…"

"Yayyyyy!", Mora was yelling excitedly, "Higher!"

They hadn´t realized they had stopped swaying her.

-XX-

He insisted on having her in for dinner; it was a lovely, warm, summer night and he had a good bottle of wine stored and waiting to be uncorked.

"Where´s Sam?", Emma asked apprehensively, noticing how quiet the air was when none of the girls were around.

"She had a sleepover… Mora was exhausted; she practically passed out after swimming", he reclined in rocking chair, inhaling the soft breeze, relaxing with the faint lights from the neighbor´s backyard, "It´s nice having company…", he spoke calmly, watching the glass in his hand and then at Emma´s, "I didn´t know how much I´d missed having someone next to me like this…", he meant the kind of company he never had; the kind of company he´d give everything for, despite never making a demand. The kind of company Emma was.

_Like what?_, "Neither did I", she whispered and finally their eyes met; she didn´t even share those kinds of moments with Antoine.

He used his legs to swing the chair and Emma jolted, finding it hard to keep balance with her own legs folded beneath her bottom, "Easy…", gently his palm went to her naked knee to keep her steady and her breath got stuck at the back of her throat. Maybe it was the wine, but she felt his hand squeezing her thigh in the slightest way and suddenly the night was warmer than ever.

"We won´t fall", he said and swung the chair a little more, "Tell me about Antoine".

If it was the new topic coming to surface or his flesh so in contact with hers, Emma didn´t know, but she blushed, "Why?"

He was dying to know about him and her; to know why it hadn´t worked out and why was she so reluctant to talk about it. "I really don´t know about your romantic life in Paris… I bet you met-"

"I didn´t. He was the only man I met there", her voice was firm interrupting him; almost jumpy. But of course, he hadn´t retrieved his hand and was now drumming his fingers on her skin. Gosh, everything was burning. "A-and it didn´t work out, so… He was cute, though. We had good times together"

"Why couldn´t he make you happy?", he wondered out loud and then teased her, "Are you so hard to please, Em?", she couldn´t be. She was a simple, down-to-earth person.

Emma cocked an eyebrow at him, "I´m not!", he was laughing, but she was nervous; the last thing she wanted was Will to think she was some sort of out-of-the-way, impossible to satisfy woman. And there was one more detail: his hand. "He was sweet and romantic… so starry-eyed"

"The stereotype of a French guy?", he didn´t like Antoine and had nothing to justify his loathe, "Basically, what every woman wants… you left him, still", she nodded, "Don´t you want those things?", now he was lost.

"I do… but, I don´t know… He wasn´t wh-what I wanted"

"Don´t you want romance?", he asked surprised; she had always seemed like someone seeking that and gently he added some pressure on her skin; it was something between encouragement and something more… something filled with need. But he looked curious, unaware of his actions.

"Yes! I want romance…", her neck was literally burning under the scrutiny of his eyes, but the wine had loosed her tongue, "I want… passion"

"Like… intensity?"

"Yes"

"What else?"

"I want mystery…", she breathed, her eyes deadlocked with his. She was staring at him.

"Expectation?"

"Yes… I… could always tell when Antoine would kiss me… where or when and how he´d make love to me", _damn alcohol_.

He breathed sharp, not expecting Emma to be so candid; but Will liked this Emma. He liked her a lot and wanted to hear more. "So, you did make love?", was his tease inquiry, and her face flushed in a powerful shade of red.

"I´m not a kid", she murmured, suddenly breaking eye contact.

"I bet you aren´t", he moved closer, sneaking a leg in the little space between her hip and the back of the chair, and blew her face to make her look at him again and Emma giggled. He loved that sound; and her eyes.

"It was boring", her confession was breathed and filled with awkwardness, "Sex"

"Boring?", it shouldn´t be boring. Maybe this Antoine guy couldn´t deal with Emma´s tastes. Maybe she needed someone who understood her more; _someone like me_…

"It´s embarrassing…", he was definitely too close for her own good; his elbow resting next to hers, his face inches away, his leg by her behind. If she moved just a little, he could feel her… but no…

"Tell me"

"I was really clueless before Antoine", she let out a nervous laugh and toyed with the bow on her waist.

_You´re not now, then_? _What did you do with him_? He was thirsty for answers. "I seriously doubt that. Sex is purely human", playfully he pinched her flesh again and Emma bit her lip.

"Love is", she disagreed and felt her stomach igniting and the incipient pulsation between her legs. _Is this really happening_?

"Why did you say it was boring?"

_He wasn´t you. It could be Heaven with you_. "You know when… you´re with someone… like, in the bedroom", he laughed at her shyness and Emma smacked his shoulder, hard, "I'm serious!"

"It was the wine!", he apologized but she was annoyed and looking away, "I´m sorry", she was mad, and Will shifted closer and slid his hand up her leg, tugging her by her hips, "I sorry, I won´t laugh. Tell me"

His mouth, close and wine perfumed, was inches away; his hand, gripping at her securely; her knee, between his legs. And the only thing Emma could think of, was kissing him.

"You… It was like…", she blamed the alcohol for her forwardness; a little voice in her head was telling her to stand up and leave; but there was a raw, seductive one purring that she should stay; "I wanted to explode with bliss", she went with the purring; she´d ignored it for years. "Did you ever feel that? Wanting to scream with need? And hold onto that person…? Because that´s the only proof you have to know you´re not dreaming?"

"Because it feels so unbelievably good it almost hurts?", he asked with a glimpse in his eyes, leaning forward.

"Yes… and you-you refuse to let go?"; she had never experienced such a thing. But it was something like that every time he was around. Her heart stopped and beat violently in her chest.

"Because you don't want it to be over"

"Yes", she was practically panting and his tender hand caressed the skin under her chin.

"You deserve excitement", his murmur was barely audible; his arms were snaking around her; he wasn´t thinking, but her closed eyes and parted mouth were enticing and he pressed his nose on hers; he could give her passion, "and passion". Will felt her arms falling on his shoulder, her back arching, almost imperceptibly, and her voice low against his mouth.

"I want passion"; she was desperate for it. And he was giving her a tad right now. It was Heaven and goose bumps erupted all over her skin.

"You can have that…You can have all the passion you want"

A dog barked in the neighbor´s backyard and Emma´s eyes snatched open. He was too close. The look in his eyes revealed nothing, but there was barely any distance between them. Looking away, she noticed the empty bottle on the little table on the window sill and for her mortification, just one bottle was no reason to be doing this. It was wrong. "Sometimes… sometimes I don´t think I can", she stated pulling her arm away, nearly unenthusiastically and already feeling cold when he copied her movements. "I…", he was silent, probably as uncomfortable as she was, but he wanted to say something to make her stay, "It´s late. Maybe I should go"

"Driving?", he hated Emma driving so late and especially after having more than two glasses of wine.

"That´s how I came", trying to keep her breathing under control, the redhead straightened on the chair and fixed her hair as naturally as she could. But her fingers were trembling after having him touching her so intimately. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Of course not", she was seriously uneasy; she never asked for permission to use his bathroom.

When she was locked inside it, Will ran his hands through his hair in frustration_. When on Earth did you decided it´d be ok to hold her like that_? It was undeniable how beautiful she was, but now things were weird and that was the last thing he wanted.

After a minute or two, Emma emerged with her coat and purse in hand.

"I guess I should be going…"

"Are you sure? I can call-"

"I'm sure", silently she walked to the door, all of a sudden the night felt like a terrible mistake. _How are you going to look at him tomorrow_? "You think you could watch over my apartment in the next days…?", maybe she should accept Edith´s invitation.

"your apart-"

"I might go back to Paris", she whispered low and Will went pale.

"W-what?"

"Maybe for a couple of weeks… Edith, a friend, called me. She asked me to go visit her"

"But… y-you have a job", he stuttered and coughed realizing the effect this new piece of information had on him; he didn´t want her to leave. Not again.

"I´m thinking about asking to have my holidays in advanced", she mentioned as if it wasn´t big deal; but it was. Since she´d came back from Cleveland Will had been hogging her and it was perplexing her once again, just like when she was younger.

"Isn´t better to wait until summer?", he put casually, but desperate to talk her out of it.

"Maybe, but I want to go now", she needed more than wanting it.

"Ok…", he felt deserted and shouldn´t; it was her life, he should let her live it like she pleased, but her going away was a bitter déjà vu

-XX-

Will remembered why he had wanted Emma to stay.

The two weeks she was gone were torture, resuscitating the two years she´d been absent, and Will saw her in his dreams almost every night.

The first time, he woke up dazed; what was Emma doing in his dreams? She had been once; but that occasion, it was and felt different. She was kissing him.

The second time, he was disconcerted; she was next to him. Not speaking, just looking at him. The entire dream. And he was as tranquil as he´d ever been.

Emma had always been unique to him. She had what he called a perky look; she was gracious and funny. And he discovered how smart she was and how red her hair was under the bar´s lamp the first time they met.

* * *

_It was out of the ordinary seeing a young girl, as beautiful as she was sitting alone at a bar. She was seated erected, gently dismissing an annoying man trying to hit on her; until her smile faded, discomfort drew itself onto her face and she shook her head, leaning her upper body back, to keep distance with the drunken guy._

_Apparently she was completely alone, because no one went to her aid, so he would. She looked seriously uneasy. _

_As soon as he stood next to her, an arm curled around her shoulder and a boyish smile on his lips, the stranger left and she thanked him more times than needed. Her name was Emma and from that short distance, Will realized she had the biggest and most gorgeous eyes he´d ever seen. She had hair like copper and ivory skin. _

_With slightly coquettish manners she invited him to have a drink which he accepted and even when she asked what he was doing in Lima, his half-untruthful reply was 'visiting family'. _

_He didn´t tell her he´d be married around that season the next year. He didn´t ask for her phone number either. Why would he? Maybe to crown the night, and consider it as the culmination of his bachelorhood career..? No. This girl was the epitome of sweetness and for the tiniest, little and horrifying moment, his eyes settled on her mouth. She had plum lips; she was probably wearing some flavored lipstick. _

_The bartender (her friend, a very good one at his job) was soon asking them to run off. And when Will looked at his watch he realized he had no intention of leaving her. But Emma was yawning and he wished her good luck_.

* * *

"Em!", Will called her name when he saw her walking through the terminal door, "Right here!"

She waved her hand at him and the girls, her smile white contrasting with her new tan, "Hey!"

"Aunt!", Mora rushed to her and hung herself from her neck, "Hiiiii", Sam went straight behind her and between the two of them, managing to bring Emma to her knees.

"Sam! Mora! Geez, girls…", Will grumbled and hid a grin when seeing how affectionate his daughters were to her, "You think I could say hi to Em?"

She blushed and tried to stand up and gallantly he offered his hand to help her, "Hi, Will…"

"You can´t leave again", he teased, although deep inside he hoped she wouldn´t and stared into her sparkling eyes. She looked just like that girl, 9 years ago, "I´m glad you´re back", and without previous warning he snaked his arms around her and rejoiced with her slenderness.

"It´s nice to be back", she´d missed him so much; even though he was the reason of her leaving, his thought had plagued her mind since the moment the plane had set off.

"How was Paris?", he asked still holding her.

"Lovely… A-are you ok?", he was shaking.

"I'm now"


	7. Chapter 6

**Something else from Will´s POV. Think it was time to write this and begin introducing a little more of their young years together... **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Aggie**

**VI**

If Will would have known how much her two weeks absence would affect him, he wouldn´t have let her go. But the truth was, Emma was leaving only to put some distance between them after what´d happened that night. It´d been weird; that´s why at first he´d thought it was a good idea, only to confirm he didn´t want her far any more.

It had been him starting with the touching, and wishing to show her what passion could be.

Then he remembered the look in her eyes; there was a trace of panic, although she´d held onto him.

It wasn´t the wine. It was him touching her thigh and his own need making his hand clasp her hip and brush their noses together. It was unstoppable; the urge of touching her mouth with his and Will sighed in bed, the images were clear and running though his mind like a motion picture.

_When did this start_?

Emma had been his rock for as long as he could recall. She was special, unlike any other woman; she was sweet and honest and lovely… So pretty. Gorgeous, actually and having her gone for two years had been a living nightmare. He felt lost. Only Sam and Mora were the guiding lights across his raucous path.

And then things between him and Claire got drained; if only Emma was with him…

_How could she leave in that moment_?

Suddenly the line of thinking was a labyrinth.

_Was my marriage in trouble before that_?

Maybe he hadn´t noticed it, but the moment she was gone (for good, he thought) every callus on the quiet surface of his marriage, suddenly became palpable.

And he couldn´t get his mind to get working on it. The only thought plaguing his mind was why wasn´t Emma calling.

Fighting with the lack of drowsiness, he got up and went downstairs, to the kitchen. She would be back in Lima in a couple of days…Maybe some tea would calm his nerves.

It didn´t. The more he thought about it, the more he remembered.

* * *

"_Emma got a new place in Paris", he told Claire with a smile after dinner; lately nights were quiet, from both sides._

"_How do you know?", her dark eyes seemed slightly amused. _

"_Your dad told me", carefully he folded the news paper and walked to his wife, "I called him this morning"_

"_Did you?", she was grinning and for a moment, he thought she was being ironic; but she wasn´t. He discovered it later. _

"_Hope you don´t mind… ", with nervousness, he looked down; he didn´t want to add to the frequent disagreements they´d had, but he missed Emma, "I´m worried about her, Claire" _

"_Why?"_

"_Why isn´t she calling? She left… just like that. It´s… weird. And your mum won´t give me her phone number"_

"_She doesn´t want to be reached", Claire explained, although she didn´t understand either, "You always cared too much about her"_

"_I…"_

"_It´s not like you had reasons…. But you did"_

_He didn´t know what to answer to that; she was right, but there wasn´t accusation in her voice. _

"_Is this what you want…?", she asked softly, taking a seat in one of the stools near the kitchen island and inviting him to do the same, "I mean for a family...? Something´s not ok, Will"_

"_I know", when did the conversation take a different direction? From Emma to them…? _

"_You think maybe we rushed into things?", her question was reflective, not angry, not tense, "I think we did… There´s someone else for you out there…"; at the time, Will didn´t catch the real meaning behind those words, and furrowed in confusion. "What do you want to do?"_

"_I´m not sure… I don´t want you to be holding you back. You deserve someone who really loves you", implicitly referring to a divorce was natural and both knew it was the obvious route to take. _

"_You too, Will"_

* * *

Maybe Claire had been right saying that… Maybe there was someone else for him… Someone close enough to go unnoticed.

But Emma was never unnoticed. Rather quite the opposite. He always noticed her. She was so noticed, he was over attentive towards her.

She was a bubbly girl, confidant and trustworthy. And as years went by, she grew in beauty and wisdom; she was interesting but she also developed an attitude Will could only describe as quiet. She had become distant and shy.

He blamed her boyfriend at the time. A man her age called Steven.

She was 23 the spring break she presented him to the family for the first time. And for a reason Will couldn´t understand, the guy made him furious. He wasn´t actually unpleasant, but every time they all hung out together, there was a forced smile on Emma´s lips; Will always though if he was her boyfriend he´d have done something, anything, to change that. Instead, Steven only asked what was going on and made her feel awkward.

According to her mother, she´d come home late; sometimes smelling like cigarette or alcohol and one time she´d got fined for driving a very drunken Steven back home; herself had had one or two extra glasses and it almost cost her driving license. Thank God, the police officer was a good acquaintance and she´d let her go.

* * *

"_You can do better, Em", was his advice as Steven slept on the grass; his hangover still lingering, "Is this what you want?"_

"_I know he´s… not what you expected"_

"_He isn´t" _

"_Stop it"_

"_Stop what?", her eyes where sizzling and his stomach turned around._

"_You always disapprove of me…", she seemed deeply hurt and tired, "This is the best I can do"_

"_This can´t be the best you ca-"_

"_Well, I chose him now. And I'm happy with him. Why can´t you just be happy for me too?", there was incomprehension on her face and Will matched her expression when her voice falter._

"_Because I don´t believe you. I don´t think you´re happy. You never seemed so miserable"_

"_I don´t want to have this conversation", she sentenced looking away and burying her face in a magazine. _

"_No. We´re having this conversation right now", She was acting childish and so was he, pushing her like that and refusing her, Will snatched the issue out of her hands._

"_Leave me alone"_

"_No. I want you to tell me what on Earth are you doing with this parasite when you could be with someone a hundred times better", he was gripping her arm without even realizing, demanding an explanation she didn´t own him. It was insane and slowly, when her eyes fogged with tears, he let her go. _

"_You can´t do that", she whispered recovering her magazine and clearing her throat; she was pretending to be perfectly fine and failed, "You just can´t"_

_But he continued, even though she was right, "I'm sorry", gently, he took her in his arms and hugged her softly, "I worry about you"_

"_I´ve told you it´s not necessary. I can take care of myself"_

"_And I´ve told you I´ll always care about you", he swallowed the lump in his throat when recognizing and immediately repressing Emma would always be more than just his sister in law to him._

* * *

The tea had gone cold after all the waiting and Will finally reconciled with the fact that he´d been exiling the idea of Emma as something more than she was. Something more than just a listener, or someone who cared.

It was obvious now she meant so much more to him after her two years disappearance and sudden departure a week ago.

It was obvious that he´d lied to her about his motive the night they met in that bar; because deep inside, Will had been spellbound by her. But of course, he was getting married, and hitting on a girl was beyond wrong.

Discovering he´d be, right then, related to the redhead from the bar, the lovely Emma, was a cruel blow. But she´d be his sister in law.

She meant no such thing to him, though.

She´d always been Emma.

-XX-

"You look like you´ve been eternally mourning", he was perceptive and his words graceful, but they held so much truth. Emma plaited three dry straws she found on the grass, and focused on them, attempting to distract herself from his intense stare; "And I'm not talking about Claire", she coughed, twice and shook her head, indicating he was mistaken, "Why did you leave, Emma?"

"I got a job there", she lied maybe too fast.

"You got a job three months after you moved", it wasn´t a question and finally she had to look at him and found Will smiling softly, "Your father told me… I called him one day asking for you"

"You… why did you call him?"

"Because it had been 7 months and I hadn´t heard from you", the answer was simple, murmured, and he fought with the impulse of lifting her chin to rise her eyes when she immediately lowered them back, "You didn´t answer me"

"I… uhm, had to leave"

"Why?", at times like this, he didn´t understand her, "you had a family that loved you, two little nieces who adored you, friends… Why did you have to leave?"

She looked at him apprehensively; her lip caught between teeth, breathing shabbily, "Being here made me unhappy, Will"

"Unhappy…?", he snorted in disbelief, "You had everything a woman would want-"

"That´s not true", he was clueless.

"Well… what were you lacking of?", he seemed to be teasing her and Emma didn´t like his tone.

"Love; I have been in love for the same man for the past 9 years. That´s why I had to leave", she finally blurted, neck and cheeks tinting pink and when he didn´t speak, speechless after her confession, she whispered feeling like a fool, "He was married"

"Married?", suddenly Will felt like there was so little he knew about this woman, "and he didn´t leave his wif-"

"Nothing never happened between us", her head shook, horrified; she could never do that, "I don´t think he ever thought about me like that"

"And you never… tried telling him?", looking at her, he wondered what man wouldn´t find her beautiful; she had the most selfless spirit he´d known and the most see-trough eyes he´d seen, "Maybe he did have-"

"No. His wife…", saying this was like walking on eggshells, "I knew her… we were close, very close. It wasn´t right"

"You´re always thinking about right or wrong", it wasn´t a scorn, just an observation; but Emma recoiled, offended.

"Of course… because supposing you were in that situation, you´d confess it to your brother´s wife", _Crap_!, "or your best friend´s wife"

"That´s not what I meant", he exhaled tired and closed his long fingers around her wrist, "You know what I mean, don´t you?"

"No, I don't", she had no idea. But her skin was burning, "and I don't think you know what you´re talking about", she needed to leave. Now.

"I didn't want to upset you", the grip tightened around her and Emma bit her lip, "Don´t go", and her tense body relaxed slightly, "It´s easy talking as an outsider"

"It is"

"I´m sorry", rigidly, she adjusted the buttons of her blouse, and straightened herself on the grass. "Do I know him?"

"What?", her pupils dilated with fear; _Oh, no._

"Yeah… do I know him?", he asked casually and all the blood of her face was drained.

"Why are you asking that?", she really didn´t need his questions now. Actually, she doubted she would be able to answer them.

"Because I want to know if I was friend with a moron…", her eyes softened as he offered her his lopsided grin, "And if that´s the case, I don´t want to have any kind of relationship with him"

"Will-"

"I don´t know who couldn´t love you, Emma", she would be a perfect girlfriend and thinking about it, Will found himself envying the man she was talking about. This man who was object of her tenderness and sweetness; what a great gift it would be to get everything of her. All of her smiles, all of her touches, all of her… She´d give so much.

_I want you to love me_, "Th-thank you"

-XX-

The sky was clear and with every passing day, the sun shone brightly; Emma found herself frisking with delight at the new dawns and afternoons spent in quietness or in the company of books.

Every weekend, she´d have dinner with the Schuster family and sometimes she´d even stay a night during the week (as the girls didn´t have school and they could stay awake watching a movie Emma would get for them) and occasionally she´d take Mora for a sleep over.

The little one had grown fond for her aunt; inexplicable at first, then Emma realized Mora would hold onto her when seeing how close her parent had gotten to the redhead.

"I love you", she´d said every time and Emma would squeeze her tightly.

"Are you ok?"

"Did mum have curls as well?", it was almost 18 months since Claire´s death and sometimes when those questions emerged Emma feared Mora could forget her mother completely.

So she sought pictures and videos for her and ordered a duvet to be made with snippets of Claire´s most beautiful dresses she´d kept more than a year ago.

And both of her nieces marveled when opening the big Christmas presents Emma had carefully wrapped for them and finding a colorful album full of beautiful pictures of them as babies and their mum.

"You´re amazing", his hug was loaded with gratitude and admiration; his whisper close, causing her to shiver, "I don´t want them to forget her"

"They won´t"

"Thank you", he sighed and planted the softest kiss on her cheek. It was warm and tender and obliviously he caressed the skin where his lips had landed minutes ago, "You´ve helped me so much… you´ve given me so much in the past year, Em… and given them more than you had"

"I did nothing"

"You have no idea what you´ve done", he insisted sternly and Emma giggled.

"I didn´t…", her head shook mulishly, but a smile was curving her lips.

"Can´t you just shut up and accept a compliment?" , he mocked and rubbed her back when giving her a second hug. "I have something for you"

The words sounded familiar and Emma blushed, remembering his last present, "I still have your present", she twisted the ring on her annular finger and he winked, pleased, "so why did you? It´s fine… I´m just happy to be here", she was. Eternally happy. Christmases were lonely in France.

"Well, first… I like giving you presents… Technically I own you a few…", she tried to protest, but he held his hand before her face to make her shush, "and second… there´s not really another reason. I just like when you smile", actually he´d give her the sun if that would draw a smile on her.

_Oh, Will…_ "Presents have that effect on most of people", she hummed and took something from under the tree, "Merry Christmas"

"You didn´t have to…"

"I know"

With curiosity and a lopsided beam, Will removed the multicolored wrapping to find a large binding; it was an assemblage of something, but he couldn´t tell just by looking at the cover.

"I´ve been looking at these for you for some time now…", she explained when he opened his present and find a handwritten note on the inferior corner of the first page.

_Because I thought you´d like these and because most of them remind me of you…_

_Love, Em_

"I know you haven´t played in a long time… but I also know you still have your piano…", she continued, observing him turn the pages in amazement, "So I guessed maybe you´d like to have them…", he was muted, and Emma allowed herself to confess a little secret, "Most of them are Parisian"

"You got them there…?", he was astonished, _you thought about me_?

"Yes"

"Em…!", he was bowled over and cupped her face in his hands, making her gasp in surprise; there was nothing else in his mind other than pressing his lips on hers, even his senses told him firmly not to and there was no mistletoe around, "I love it"

"You do?"

"It´s the best present I got", he whispered maybe to close not to catch Sam´s or Mora´s attention; they had made lovely drawings and handicrafts for him, "But don´t tell them"

"I won´t"

"Dad! Take a pic with Aunt Emma!", Sam exclaimed excitedly with the camera in hand and quickly aiming to them.

As fast as his daughter, Will flushed Emma against him and planted a sonorous kiss on her cheek; her giggles were infectious, and for the first time, Emma didn´t blush and instead of pulling away, she hugged him back and posed for the picture.


	8. Chapter 7

**VII**

And then things appeased for a while.

Toledo was a nice city where Emma would spend one or two afternoons after work and meet occasional clients from Mr. Anderson´s gallery. It was her charm and good manners that made her career bloom so steadily.

When winter died down and buds grew to be flowers, Emma found herself being questioned about her relationship status. She would display her old grandmother´s ring to the prying people and tell stories about being engaged.

It was awful putting such lie in her mouth, but Mr. Anderson had tried to fix her up with his nephew and Emma had no intention or interest what so ever in any man other than Will. But it was inevitable and dreaming didn´t hurt anybody. Except maybe for herself.

Sometimes, remorse would lag behind her and cloud her senses, and dampen her spirit. He was her sister´s husband, but he´d also been her only love for ever.

However, she´d remain single to have a reason not to feel guilty every time Will touched her and the butterflies in her stomach would flutter madly.

She´d remain single because she wanted a reason to be close to him and accept his flattering every time he´d assure her that someone would fall deeply in love with her.

She´d remain single, because she´d tried to move on and failed; and she was tired looking for someone she would never find to forget him.

It was tearing her apart, but she´d rather have that than having nothing at all.

-XX-

"Hey, Em… What are you doing here?", he asked uncharacteristically, seeing her standing on the porch when he opened the front door.

"I, uhm, I was taking Mora with me for the weekend", she said walking in and realizing he wasn´t alone. As advancing through the room, she noticed someone sitting on the couch, a laptop on her lap and long crossed legs. "H-hi…"

"Hi!", the stranger greeted cheerfully and Emma took a sharp lungful of air examining the blonde woman situated so comfortably in his living room. She had long hair and deep light blue eyes on an attractive face. She was really beautiful.

Then an uncomfortable silence fell upon them and Emma coughed, her chest constricting; _he´s dating someone_?

"I´m sorry… Em, this is Holly…", he finally remembered to make the proper introductions, "She´s the new partner at the firm; she comes with brilliant backgrounds from Chicago"

"Nice to meet you", Emma leaned forward and shook her hand as politely as she could; she didn´t care how good her qualifications were. The only thing that mattered was a woman was there. A woman that wasn´t her. _Why_?

"Holly, this is Emma… a very close friend and my sister in law"

"I´ve heard a lot about you", Holly was stunning and friendly, displaying a wide smile at her, "Will told me you work in an Art gallery".

"Yeah… ", there was nothing she could think to answer to that, except give Holly a brief grin, "I better, uhm, go find Mora", and without spending another second, Emma rushed upstairs; tears would begin to flow down her cheeks if she stayed there.

"Is she ok?", the blonde seemed concerned.

"I´ll be right back", Will apologized to his guest and followed Emma to Mora´s room, where she was helping her get ready. "Em…?"

"Hey… I'm sorry I didn´t call before coming"

He chuckled softly, "you don´t have to call", she was welcome any day she wanted; at any time for all the time she wanted.

"You´re busy, Will… I don´t want to interrupt your, uhm, meeting"

"I´m just showing Holly how the company software works", he stated as if it was obvious, but Emma didn´t believe him.

"Of course", _calm down, you´re making a scene_. "Are you ready, honey?", Mora nodded and grabbed her bag and her Anna doll, "Are you taking her too?", she meant her Ballerina Barbie.

"Yes!"

"Ok, let´s get moving!", Mora rushed downstairs, gliding her Barbie in the air, as it was some kind of airplane.

"Hey, Em…", she was ignoring him; Will couldn´t believe it and smiled at her cuteness; _she´s jealous_?

"Yes…?"

"Do you think I could give Holly your number?", he knew Emma was straight, but the blonde had seen a picture of her and expressed interest in his sister in law; Will had to hold a laugh seeing Emma´s jaw dropping.

"Wh-"

He could tell a white lie; it wouldn´t hurt, "She asked me if you´d like to go out for a drink with her"; she hadn´t, but Will knew Holly wanted it and Emma´s face was hilarious; the little tease was actually worth it.

"Like...", she couldn't even finish the question. _So you´re not with her_?

"Like a date"

"I am not into… that", she was furrowing; _why does he think I am_?

"That´s what I told her", he was sniggering, covering his mouth, "You should have seen your face!"

"Will!", relief… Emma breathed out and scolded at him, "I can´t believe you did that…"

"It´s true, though… she likes you"

"Oh…no, no, no…", her head shook repeatedly with nervousness, "I´m not… I´m flattered-"

"I know... she knows you´re into guys"

"You´re an ass… I don´t like those kind of jokes"

"It´s not a joke", he winked mischievously and guided her downstairs, "do you wanna say bye to Holly?"

"You´re incredible", she bit her lip and felt chills running up and down her spine when he didn´t retrieve his hand, "And _this _is not over, mister"

"Planning revenge?", playfully, he squeezed her waist and moved closer.

"Maybe", she whispered furtively with a smirk.

"I can´t wait"

"It was nice meeting you, Holly", Emma gave her one more smile when they reached the living room and then spoke to Will, "I´ll bring Mora tomorrow"

-XX-

After Emma´s little scene Will couldn't help but to play along.

It was mirthful remembering the episode without Emma not flushing madly red.

"Why did you get all nervous and picky when seeing Holly?", he asked curiously when she slapped his arm, softly. Maybe she was jealous; it couldn't be because of Claire.

"Uhm, I guess I´m not used to seeing you with women", her fib was half breathed as they walked across the Park. Luckily the girls always found a distraction to give them some space.

"I don´t want to be a single parent", maybe that was how she thought about him, and Will didn´t want that. "I know I was married to your sister… And I wouldn´t like you to resent me because I´ve moved on"

"I don´t", she was sincere taking his arm and rubbing it softly, "I want you to be happy", thinking there could be a woman for him that wasn´t her made Emma miserable, but seeing him melancholic was like feeling her heart being ripped out of her body.

"I´m happy like this… when I´m with you", he put out in a murmur and Emma´s cheeks went red again, "You really have no idea how much I've missed you"

"I´m here now", she wasn´t going anywhere, "And … I know you want the girls to have a mum"

"They have a mum and they have you… I just… I don´t want to look selfish…"

"What?"

"I want someone for me"

She said nothing. He deserved that but Emma wanted to be that someone.

"Are you coming to Sam´s game tomorrow morning?", he asked when she stayed hushed, "At 10"

"Of course… I better get going, Will… Have a dinner tonight"

She scurried across the park, waving her hand at the girls, before Will could stop her. She was certain the interrogation would begin if she gave him a chance to ask and certainly, Emma was not in the mood to take his encouragement.

If she wasn´t on the road in fifteen minutes, she´d be late and have to beer with Mr. Anderson´s nephew.

Networking was a real drag. Maybe if she had limited herself to do her job instead of talking and being extra friendly, she could have avoided those kinds of social meetings.

Snorting with frustration and pacing from one room to another hectically, Emma heard the bell ringing.

Whoever it was, it was a lousy time. "Yes-? Will…", he could come in and she moved aside to let him through, "Hey…"

"Hi… Em… I, erm…", he stuttered looking at her. She was absolutely stunning, "Hey…"

It was stupefying; her body so slim and yet alluringly proportionate. Black silk clutching her round hips, a dark belt tightening around her tiny waist and matching lace on the top, covering deep white cleavage.

Her demeanor drastically changed the minute she spotted him there and smiling shyly, "Hi…"

She said again; they were acting like entranced teenagers.

"You had a date…", he exclaimed pretending he´d forgotten, "I´m sorry… I just-"

"No!", she said too fast and colored pink; the last thing she wanted was him to think she was seeing someone, "I have a cocktail party in Toledo…"

"Oh…", _thank you, God_. "You look… erm, very beautiful", _you take my breath away_.

"Thank you…", she gulped; his eyes were locked with hers and were sending interesting but out of place waves of heat, "Do you-uhm, want anything to drink?"

She turned around and walked to the kitchen, not really waiting until he made up his mind; she could use a glass of water as her mouth was now dry.

"Water is fine", instinctively his eyes traveled down, to her swaying hips to admire the fine view; he could get used to it. _Emma has kept that asset quite hidden_.

"What are you doing here?", she asked amused seeing him standing awkwardly at the kitchen´s entrance.

"Yes… erm, I still have your CDs", it was the most absurd thing he´d done all month; go over her house to confirm she was going on a date under the pretext he still had some of her stuff.

"My CDs?", she chewed the inside of her cheek; he was being the protective Will, the Will that would judge her boyfriends and the people she saw. She remembered that Will…

"Yeah…"

"Ok…", suddenly, she was annoyed, despite knowing he was taking care of her; she wished he´d just do something or leave her alone.

"So… you´re taking Mr. Anderson´s- what´s his name?", he mentioned casually taking a seat on one of the chairs. _If only you´d ask me…_

"I´m not taking him anywhere", she sighed walking by his side, hurried; and fixed her hair in the mirror in the hallway, "Mr. Anderson wants to fix me up with his nephew and told us to go together… it´d be good for the gallery, he said"

"Oh…", his stare got slightly brighter, "So… you´re leaving now?"

"Yes.. I´m already running late", she struggled to clip the pearls around her neck.

"Let me help you with that", hastily Will moved to her and took the necklace out of her hands, "You know, you really look great", he whispered moving his hands to her front to place the jewel on her skin.

"Thank you"

With adroit fingers, he finished the task for which he´d offered assistance and brushed the warm skin of her nape.

She watched him gazing at her flesh, his eyes hooded; felt his hands unnecessarily fixing the zip of her dress, moving down to adjust her belt and finally resting on her hips.

"I´ve never seen this dress", he brought up feeling the soft material and the curves of her body. She was luxurious.

"I, uhm, I rarely wear it", _please, stop… stop, don´t- stop, don´t stop_.

"It really looks great on you", great was not an adequate word to describe how good she looked. "So I take it you won´t come tomorrow?", he croaked, rejoicing with her glorious body and finally dared to meet her eyes.

"What do you mean?", she could take a step forward and free herself from his grip, the space was there; but as much as she knew she had to, she wouldn´t. His touch was gentle and was heating up parts of her body she thought didn´t exist anymore, "Of course I´m coming"

"But you´ll be in Toledo"

"I´ll be in Toledo tonight", her eyes lowered to her hands and fiddled about with the ring he´d given her, "not tomorrow morning"

"You can´t drive back home so late", his voice was close now, gruffly sullen. The beginning of an admonishment.

"Of course I can…", she wasn´t smiling, but was sweet contradicting him, "I won´t even stay too long"

"I don´t want you to drive 90 miles", surprisingly he turned her around and kept her steady by her hips; his eyes were so intense Emma practically shuddered. _If something happens to you…_

"I´m not staying in a Hotel, Will. I´m coming back home", she sentenced obstinately.

He let out a grunt, however he wasn´t letting her move, "I don´t want you to drive so late"

"I won´t drink, Will… and I won´t even come back after midnight… I know what I'm doing", was her cute reply, resting her palms on his upper arms.

"Do you?", so did Claire and now she was gone. The thought of Emma hurt took him to an anxious state of wariness.

"I do"

"I can´t tell you what to do", he seemed resigned, "but… be careful"

"I know you worry….but please don´t. I´ll be ok"

"You know I won´t sleep until I see you tomorrow, right?"

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"

"Would it talk you into staying?"

"_No_…", she grinned and hit his chest, playfully.

"Damn…", he joined her smile, "And keep an eye on that date you´re taking"

"I told you he´s not my date!", it was easy making her giggle, "He´s sort of obnoxious, actually"

"I bet he is…", smoothly he guided her to the front door and helped her slide in her coat, "so I see you tomorrow?"

"At 10"

"At 10", he saw her bite her lip, almost undetectable and prized her with a boy-ish smile and a lingering kiss on her cheek, "Bye, Em"

"B-bye, Will"


	9. Chapter 8

**Ok, clearly moving forward witht this... impatient to know what you think about this chapter!**

VIII

"Come camping with us"

"Camping?", Emma furrowed in question; outdoors sleeping wasn't something she was used to. Actually the last time she´d done it she was 16.

"A little thing we´ve been planning with Sam… She wants you to come",

"Really?", they had both been using the girls as an excuse to spend time together and as amazing it was, Emma couldn´t help but feel slightly guilty.

"Yeah… We´re going only for a weekend before they go to my parents´"

"You think Mora will want to go to your parents?"

"I don´t know… she´s too attached to you", he said smirking and Emma blushed.

"She could stay with me, I don´t mind…"

"So you can pamper her?", he moved closer, enjoying teasing her.

"Yeah…"

"No", it was a resolute decision.

"Why not?", his obdurateness brought a protest; although she couldn´t help to find it highly attractive.

"Because she needs to be with other people and you deserve to rest"

"It´s not that she exhausts me…", she was too keen on Mora as well, "Plus your mother is gonna call you when she starts crying"

"I think I'm gonna take the risk"

"You´re their father…"

"I am. Besides it´s gonna be fun having some time alone"

_What_?

"We could talk, Em; really talk…", he could take her out and wondered when was the last time she´d go to a bar for a beer and a spin around the dance floor, "and go out for a drink without worrying about waking up early"

_What_?

"You can tell me about your life in Paris…", he was obsessed with it and reduced the distance between them.

"Oh, it wasn´t that interesting…", she shook her head, embarrassed, perhaps the best option was ending this and go back home but when taking a step backwards, she bumped into the living room table.

"There´re many interesting things you didn´t tell me about it", he pushed once more, conscious she was blushing and the best thing to do would be stop this. But as much as he wanted, Will felt hauled to her.

"Like what?", finding it impossible to move, something stirred and caused her eyelashes to bat. She was flirting, subtly, but she was.

"Well, I don´t know"

She laughed and encouraged him to speak, "How do you know it was interesting?"

"Because everything about you is"

-XX-

Camping was amazing, except for the sunburn Will had tried to prevent by offering to apply sun screen.

But Emma didn´t trust herself and declined him, alleging she had put enough lotion to protect an albino. Big fat lie. His touch would ignite her body; simple as that… and she was already burning.

Her shoulders were on fire and Will got really cute reprimanding her; that was at first, but then he stopped joking and Emma snorted every time he scolded her.

"You won´t sleep for two days, you know that?", he said generically rubbing cream on Sam´s shoulder.

"I do"

"Then why didn´t you-"

"I did! But it must have washed away and I don´t know…", Sam sent her an apologetic look and ran towards her sister, when her Father gave her a soft pat on her butt, "It´s not really that bad, Will. Stop worrying", he pursed his lips and Emma furrowed, "It´s just a sunburn"

"It´s not. It can give you canc-"

She laughed loudly, interrupting him; "I won´t get cancer for a sunburn, Will! Don´t be silly…"

"Excuse me for worrying about you", he folded his arms on his chest, clearly frustrated.

"I told you; you don´t have to worry…"; _why do you care so much about me_? She just couldn´t understand what the reason behind it was.

"Well, I do", he wheezed, not understanding why he was getting so worked up for nothing. It was just a sun burn, really.

"Well, thank you", softly she unfolded his arms and squeezed his hand, sweetly, "You´re a very stubborn man, Will"

"I´m not"

"Of course you aren´t", her alter-ego handed him the lotion bottle and turned around, showing him her bare back. "Help me?"

"S-sure"

Her eyes flipped closed when his warm hands caressed and rubbed the perfumed lotion onto her skin; stroking her waist, then up through her shoulder blades and massaging her neck. "Slowly…", she breathed probably with a hint of arousal and then found a trace of sense and corrected herself, "It hurts…"

"I told you it would", he warned again moving his fingers pads on the top of her shoulders despite knowing her skin was sore; she whined, "You see why I told you…?"

Suddenly she felt no pain, only the fire he kindled, "_Yes_…", _You´re panting! Panting_! , "You were right…"

"Was I?", he dropped his hands on her hips and spoke low on her ear, hoping she´d spin her face to him because her eyes were the only thing in his mind.

"Yes"

-XX-

"I think it´s gonna rain"; the sky was wide while looking it laying on her back; not blue and clear as moments ago, now it was grayish, nearly silver and a warm breeze that usually announced a storm was blowing in.

"We´re not far from home", he said not wanting to interrupt their lonely picnic; _how could you live without her for so long_?

She bit her lip, nervously and looked up to the cloudiness over their heads, "It´s gonna rain"

"So?", he was teasing her and Emma sent him a scolding stare at him, "Relax, Em. It´s not like we have acid rain in Lima". She giggled and he rejoiced with the lovely sound. He´d missed her so much… "I love when you laugh". Immediately, her smile vanished and her eyes lowered, "What´s wrong?"

"Nothing"

"Yes, something´s up. Tell me", he coaxed moving closer on the cloth over the grass.

"I´m easily embarrassed", _and you make me want you when you say things like that_.

"Didn´t mean to embarrass you", he only wanted to tell her how she made him feel.

"I know"

"Don´t be sad, Em", letting himself fall next to her, Will bore his weight on his elbows and skimmed her concerned face from above.

"I'm not"

"You´re miserable", he wanted nothing more than to take away some of the load her heart was suffering from.

"Oh, Will… You don´t know that…", there it was: his compassion look. She wished he didn´t look at her like that. But he knew, so well.

"Sometimes I see the girl you were, when I first met you… and then this you comes out", she looked broken and he hoped he could fix her

"I´m the same girl"

"It seems… there´s only dark around you and…", carefully he brushed the hair off her forehead and dared to brush the skin there, "…sometimes you shine in the darkness"

He was so poetic and romantic; touching her like that, looking at her with so… what? What was it? She was so confused, "I try to. We all do"

"There´s no darkness when you´re around"

"Oh, Will…", she didn´t want to sob, but she did and he snaked his arms beneath her body and brought her closer.

_Who hurt you, Em? What else are you not telling me?,_ "Don´t cry…"

"I-I´m sorry", she tried to compose herself, but he was keeping her steady and didn´t let her move.

"Dance with me", he murmured after a while, when she calmed down and sighed softly.

"There´s no music", she smiled lightly and with a swift movement, he brought her to stand on her feet, "Will!"

"What?", he was spinning her around the silent park and suddenly, she was laughing and following his lead.

"I think it´s raining…", she breathed between giggles and twists, "Will, I´m talking to you…". He ignored her, though and sang louder eliciting more chortles from the redhead, "Ah! Will!", and then the drizzle was no longer such, but heavy chubby drops landing on them, "the rain!"

"Leave the rain alone!"

"It´s not leaving me!", her hair was frizzy and now Emma was cold.

"Ok, let´s go", he used his jacket to coat his head and pulled Emma next to him, sheltering her from the torrent, "C´mon, that way". They walked clumsily, giggling and trying to avoid the water, but it was hard; his jacket wasn´t so big. So they stopped under a tree and he looked at her, at her redden face but cold under his finger pads. "You´ll get a cold"

"Only because of you", she sneered at him.

"Are you saying it´s my fault?"

"Yes, Will. You made me stay here"

"You could have gone"

_I could never go_. She shook her head when he lifted her chin to make her look at him when the answer didn´t come.

"I'm cold", she whispered and his arms secured around her waist again.

"Ok"

They jogged to the next shelter; a luxuriant pine which smelled to resin.

"Like the rain?", he mocked and she stuck her tongue at him, "It suits you"

"It suits you too". It did, actually. His curls were damp; his shirt adhered to his chest, to his muscular and perfect pecs and Emma looked around attempting to distract herself.

"Want some hot tea when we get home?"

"That´s the least I expect"

"What else do you expect?"

_You_. She gulped, her mouth was dry. Maybe she should just stop this, "Food. I´m hungry"

He laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Ok"

Finally, they had to rash to his house, running under the heavy rainfall; Emma cursing her lousy wardrobe selection. A white singlet had been a terrible choice for a rainy day; thank God she´d gone for a nude, semi-thick bra…

"Don´t!", she called when he deliberately stopped before a red light, "What are you doing? Will!"

"What?", she was coating her breasts and looking slightly annoyed, "Ok, ok… I´ll catch you", and she scuttled down street. Maybe he shouldn´t be watching her like that. But she was wearing white and was soaking wet. So the view was nothing but unexciting.

"I can´t believe you…", she snorted and wringed the front of her singlet.

"It´s no big deal", he said; it wasn´t, really. He was obsessed with the sight.

"Ha-ha… funny. Open the door"

"I don´t remember which one is the right key", he was playing smart and Emma attempted to snatch the key ring away, "Uh-uh, Emma… wait"

"Will!", she launched to him, just when he unlocked the door and they tripped inside, "You´re crazy!", she used his shoulders to avoid falling and there they were again, his arms holding her.

"I was just kidding"

"I don´t like people watching me in underwear", she looked down to her chest and so did he and when her stare lifted, he wasn´t looking away.

"Now that I think about it, I don´t like other people watching your see-through shirts"

And then their eyes met; his were clouded and hers, expectant.

He leaned forward, so very lowly Emma didn´t realize how close he got. It wasn´t until his hot breath warmed her lips up when her eyes grew wider and her chest heaved. She couldn´t form a decent line and missed air when once more, Will placed a revel strand of hair behind her ear.

"You´re the most beautiful woman I´ve ever seen", his confession was raucous, desperate to be said out loud.

"Will…", her tongue poked out to lick her dry lips and he helped her out by brushing their mouths together. It was dreamy, after all those years, after all those nights imagining what it would be like… And Emma whimpered into the kiss when his arms wrapped her waist and pressed her closer.

"Em…", her name was frenzy, almost feverish, tinted with lust and need and Will slide his tongue inside her mouth when her head tilted aside, giving him more to take.

_This is wrong_. But it felt so good… and Emma moaned with a mixture of regret and arousal.

"Em…"

She pulled him close, not wanting and not able to speak, "Kiss me", she could only beg hugging him back, anchoring herself onto him. And he devoured her mouth, the wet fabric wrinkling beneath his greedy, exploring palm. It wasn´t until he met the soft skin of her back when Emma realized he was fondling with the clip of her bra. "Take it off"; she felt possessed. She didn´t care anymore.

Not thinking twice he pulled the shirt above her head and tossed it someplace near, "You really are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen"

Her cheeks were on fire, along other lower parts, but his knuckles were tender and careful caressing the angle of her jaw. It was too much, in some point, but it was irrepressible and Emma couldn´t and didn´t want to stop. She had waited 9 years… 9 long years. And suddenly she pushed the guilt aside, gave a small bounce and wrapped her thighs around his hips.

Not another word was needed, Will walked upstairs with the redhead firmly clutched to him, "I won´t let you go", he mumbled between kisses and soon they were lying on his bed. "Give me your pants", he commanded unbuttoning them and tugging them down her legs. It was hard, the fabric was soaked. And then he took a moment to admire her. She was absolutely breathtaking. Creamy, slim, eternal legs; wide hips, and a flat tummy with an oval mole near her belly and freckles all across her not very exuberant chest, "You´re reall-"

Emma brought him to her and stamped their mouths together; she wasn´t expecting roses and romance, because she didn´t know what would happen then. So that was the only way she could think to make him cease talking.

"No, let me look at you", he demanded pulling away and staring at her hooded eyes.

"Why?"

"I want to see you"

"Oh, no, Will…", she planted soft kisses on his neck to prevent his intense stare and Will chuckled.

"Oh, yes, Ma´am", he kept her steady and brushed their lips together, "You´re so beautiful", her lip got caught between teeth and seeing her faltering, Will kissed her again, "You are"

His pants landed on the floor, along with his boxers and her panties and that was when Emma realized he was naked, on top of her. And she had never been more aroused in her whole life; pants were thick, sultry; gasps were sharper after each time he´d sweep himself across her entrance.

"Oh, God… Please", she found herself begging and hoisting her hips onto him, "Just… "

"I want it too, Em", slowly he slid inside her, "I want this so bad"

_You do_?, "It feels good", she panted and moved so their bodies burned as one. Never in a million years, would Emma have imagined it would feel so delicious. Every inch of skin in perfect contact.

"You feel amazing", he kissed her hard and shoved forward, "So _good_…"

And they moved. Back. Forth. And back again. And again, and he´d stop and then thrust in her slickness over and over again until Emma had to arch, because he was pushing against that spot that made her whine and sweat.

"_God_", if he didn´t stop she´d be over and Emma really didn´t want to. _Last more… _

"I know…", suddenly, his hands were beneath her hips, stealing that precious space in between her body and the mattress and forced her to him, "I don´t want to stop"

_How did you know…_?, "Neither do I… Don´t stop", he was passionate, pressing his forehead on hers and exhausting her as his body began to drain as well, "_Pleasedon´tstop_"

He didn´t, but she started contracting and purring his name as orgasm struck her; shaking and convulsing in his arms, Emma felt him going stiff and covering her entire body with his. Then warmness and she couldn´t speak anymore.


	10. Chapter 9

**Hope you enjot this new update... I wanna thank, like usual, to Becca for proof-reading thise for me!**

**Aggie**

**IX**

It was morning, the sun shed light on every corner of the room and there was nothing but nakedness between them.

It woke her up and so did the birds cheeping outside; Emma´s eyes fluttered before being completely opened, feeling Will´s hand on her belly.

_Oh, what did I do_?

Only making her dream come true; if only she´d have been told such strange assortment of feelings would swirl inside her afterwards.

Barely moving, she tilted her head aside and looked at him, sleeping peacefully, his mouth slightly parted. He was so beautiful…

_Oh, Will what did we do_?

He was her sister´s husband. How could she?

But the only thing she could think of was doing it again; over and over.

"Good morning", his croaky was voice close to her mouth after a placing a kiss there startled her, "Did you sleep well?". Sorting out her expression was a catastrophe so he slightly pulled away.

"Uhm… yes", _All the things I said… and did… oh my God…_ "Just… uhm…", she couldn´t think of anything to say; so it was best to keep quiet.

"Last night…", now she seemed to regret it, even though she´d returned every kiss he´d given her, "Are you ok?"

"Yes. I…", _Why did you do this? _The question left her mouth with apprehension, "Did-did we do this because I remind you of Claire?"

"No", he couldn´t believe that idea had crossed her mind; Claire wasn´t the one, "we did this because we both wanted", not saying a word, and trying to believe him, Emma got up, pulling one of the sheets to veil her body and reached for her underwear, "You´re nothing like Claire", his words made her halt; he continued, "You´re sweet and shy and speak your mind in your own way. You´re poetic and romantic and selfless. And you have light, Emma. So much light sometimes you blind me"

"Thank you", she sniffed with gratitude and the smile curving her lips vanished immediately when realizing for her, Claire was all those things too.

"I mean it", he thought she´d come back to bed; instead, Emma slid her panties back on and clipped her bra behind her back.

"You´re very sweet"

"You don´t believe me", he stated and sat, pulling his pajama pants on, "I´m telling you the truth"

"I do", she just couldn´t figure out what to do next. "Maybe… maybe I should go", she should think about what to do.

"You can´t leave", _You won´t leave_. He stood in her way, "We have to talk about this"

"No… not now, Will. Please…", she whimpered taking a step back; the view was marveling, "I need to think…"

"About what?", he prompted wondering and hoping she´d say 'us'

"About… about this"

_Of course_… She was in love with someone else; someone who had ignored her existence for nine years.

"Do you want to go out tonight?" Will blurted; perhaps he could change her mind and heart. Perhaps he could make her fall for him, just like she´d done with him.

"What?" The sheet crumpled on her chest slipped down when her arms trembled; the view was marveling.

"Let´s go out tonight"

"Uhm-"

"Have you been in Rosalita´s?", his smirk was inviting and not giving her time to answer, Will handed her the white-slightly drenched singlet. "It´s a cool place… there´s nice music-"

"I don´t know-"

"You´ll love it! There´s a mechanic bull and nice people; you could use a drink and some dancing…"

The last time they´d danced, she had ended up pouncing on him. "Uhm… dancing?"

"Yes…", sensing her giving in, he moved forward and took her hand; the sheet slid a little lower, revealing her belly bottom and the white edge of her underwear, "I´ll pick you up at 9? Or is 10 better? 10.30. So you can get dressed and stuff", the verbosity was insufferable, but it was the only thing he could do to stop her from leaving.

"Ok"

She was giving to that part of herself that Emma had repressed for so long. And it was wrong. But last night, she´d tasted a little nosh and now there was a starving beast roaring and tugging at its leash to be free.

-XX-

The music was deafening, the place crowded as ever and Emma sat awkwardly next to Will, at one of the tables in the corner.

"You like it?", he meant the place and the redhead nodded and took a sip of her Whiskey-Cola. "I used to come here after the games… of course now leaving the girls alone could cost me", He tried to lighten the mood but she only gave him a quick, brief smile.

"Yeah…"

"You look very beautiful", _stop trying so hard_. But she did look stunning.

"Thank you… You… you look very good yourself". It was a date. Neither of them had said it on those terms, but it was. She was having a date… with her brother in law. In moments like that, her conscience would peek and point her finger at her.

"Relax, Em… Come…"

"Where?"

"Dancing", as usual, Will did not wait for an answer; he brought her to her feet and walked her to the dance floor, "Not precisely the music you had in mind?", he asked rising his voice above the music when some sort of pop-rap song started to play.

"Not really… I think I wore these just to brag", she meant her calf-length boots and he shot one of those legs melting smiles and her body heated up. "I… maybe we should just… I don´t really like this song".

"No, I want to dance with you", he insisted and flatted their bodies together, "I want to dance with you all night long, Emma"

She puffed out; aware she should discontinue this thing she was playing. The guilt was crawling inside her. "I… I…"

"You´re a good dancer, Em…", he wasn´t talking about dancing skills anymore and deliberately, Will spoke next to her ear and scratched the little skin showing at her back. He could make her fall for him. "The best dancer I´ve ever danced with"

The colorful lights hid the blushing on her cheeks but the smile was noticeable, "You too"

They moved with the rhythm in silence innocently at first, sensually later; he was good at leading and Emma easy at succumbing to temptation. Their eyes were deadlocked, his hands on her wiggling hips, hers around his neck.

Gracefully, he spun her around and whether it was the alcohol or her own need to be touched, Emma ended up with her whole body pressed against his.

She felt his hands on her tummy, his mouth close again to the shell of her ear and she just had to look at him.

"People are staring", people knew them, Lima was a small town; they knew he was a widow and she was his sister in law; and now they were practically grinding on each other.

"Let them stare", softly he captured her lower lip and she tensed on his arms, "I don´t care about them".

"I…", she licked her lips when he pulled away, his flavor was still on her flesh, "What are they gonna think?"

"Whatever they want", another kiss; this time she saw it coming and relaxed a little, "Why do you care, anyway?"

"Can we go?", she pleaded when spotting a man watching them; she was being paranoid, but thought she´d seen him grimace, "I'm not comfortable"

"I´ll dance with you", he declared pulling away and directing her to their table, "Here or at home"

"Will-"

Giving her barely any time to grab her purse, Will dragged her out the bar; the air was refreshing, open and reinvigorating.

"Get in the car", it wasn´t the nicest way he could say it.

"What-"

"You said you were not comfortable. Ok. I´m taking you somewhere else", he was slightly annoyed. Everything and nothing caused it. The people, staring… _why the hell are they __poking__ their noses_? Her… _fear? Shame? What is it_? He wanted to do whatever he pleased; he wanted to kiss her in a bar, like any normal guy would kiss a woman.

She did what she was told, her teeth clenching. A spectacle was the last thing she wanted to give people.

"I didn´t mean to talk to you like that", the engine was quiet after an equally quiet drive to his place, "but you have to understand something… I don't care about them"

She did. With him, Emma felt in the spotlight all the time. Because this was wrong.

They were parking in his driveway; _of course_. Still, she got out and closed the door, maybe a little too forcefully. "I´m not a puppet", she said when he did the same and walked around the car to face her. She met the passion they´d talked about weeks ago; it was casted in his deep, piercing eyes and she found herself gulping in arousal. "It´s not 'your way' all the time"

"Hell, yes it is. I want you", with authority, he moved forward and she hit the door at her behind, "And I don´t give a _fuck_ what people think", maybe that way she´d understand and he fenced her between his arms and moved closer with feline slowness, "I´m single. You´re single. I want to be with you… more than you can imagine"

"Ok", _that´s what he wants_. It was obvious, that was why he´d brought her to his house instead.

"Ok?", she was serious. The sparkle in her eyes moments ago was gone and Emma broke out of his trap and walked towards his front door.

"This is what you want, right? Ok"

Narrowing his eyes at her while trying to read her expression, Will followed her and unlocked the door.

With determination, the redhead marched upstairs and threw her purse and jacket on a chair nearby.

"Emma, what are you doing?", suddenly he sensed her becoming cold, as cold as the woman who had answer that phone two years ago. Only this time, she was unbuttoning her skirt.

"You said this was what you wanted", she gulped and endeavored to look convinced. "So, let´s do it. Let´s fuck"

"I didn´t say that"

"You don´t have to say it for me to understand it"

"You _assumed_ it", he chuckled softly and arrested her hands between his, "When I said I wanted to be with you… I didn´t mean it just like that. I meant like we always are, but more. More honesty, more kissing, more of you", her head shook repeatedly, not believing the words dropping out his mouth, "I´ve been trying to forget you were the most interesting and beautiful woman I´ve ever met since the moment I laid my eyes on you". With typical assertiveness and more typical gentleness, he took her in his arms and swept their mouths together, "Don´t you see that I can´t stop thinking about you?"

"N-no…", she didn´t. She always took his attitude as over-protective, just like a brother would be with his little sister.

"For having such big eyes, you don´t see well", was his tease and then his lips were on hers again. "Stay. Dance with me"

Emma whimpered in the kiss when he gave her no time to answer. Her skirt fell to the floor, and so did his shirt. Will was insistent and sweet, ridiculous to resist; not less when there was so much involved.

So she conferred her immoral self another night… and she gasped when their naked bodies laid on the made bed and the precious skin to skin contact send shivers all along her spine.

"We work so well together, Em", his hands caressed the delicate curve of her breast, anchoring himself between her widened legs, "You realize that?"

"Yes"; he was only the third man she´d slept with, but the first one who´d seen her in such state of vulnerability. He unleashed something in her, something wild and primitive; that was why she moaned so loud and hoisted her hips to feel him.

"You were always here…", he filled her slowly and felt her legs circling his waist. The angle was Heaven and the urge of pumping in her was infuriating.

"Of c-course", seductively, his tongue parted her mouth and Emma bucked her hips up, seeking for more.

"Except when you left", he thrusted hard and deep and she cried in pleasure at the sensation of completeness; "You tore my heart"

"I-I'm sorry", she had no idea and offered him her mouth as an apology; he took it all, and rammed again as hard as before.

"You´re here now", he was panting, claiming her as his own; and Will left raw and insatiable; _if you ever leave again…_ "You can´t leave again", his weight covered her little one; his chest imprisoning her as his vigorous hips continued their tortuous assault on hers.

"I-I won´t", she didn´t want to leave ever again, "_slowdown… slower_"

He ceased movement at her command and looked at her. Her face was as red as her hair, "I´m serious. You can´t leave again", catching her by the wrists and keeping them at the sides of her head, Will kissed her passionately; an unspoken declaration. _You´ll be mine... as I'm yours_.

She was his, it was true; he was her puppeteer and Emma cursed herself. _You can´t stop me._

And with incredible strength for someone her size, Emma pushed him and climbed on him; _I can do whatever I want_. But she wouldn´t leave.

She´d stay right there, no matter how guilty she´d feel in the morning and how much it´d break her; it just didn´t matter anymore.

"I can´t leave?", she asked and lowered herself on him, "Mmm…"

"No", he directed her hips lower until her head fell back, signifying the pleasure building inside her, "I´ll find you"

"You-_ohgod_-you won´t…", she was rocking enthusiastically, gaining the most delicious friction and sagged forward, to speak just against his mouth. _You didn´t care enough last time. "_You didn´t find me the last time_"_

"You run. You hid", his accusation was hoarse as lifting his lower half to meet her; but then, combing her cascading waves off her face, Will begged. He knew, he had no right. He could have gone to her long ago. Instead, he´d been a coward; he´d hid himself. "Please don´t hide from me… Please, Em. I love you"

"Will…", she had to bury her face in the crook of his neck to conceal the tears his declaration caused and threatened to flow. Hiding had happened only because of him.

"Please…", he implored desperate and hugged her as close as he could, sensing her close, hanging at the edge of climax, "I´m so in love with you"

And she exploded in cries and clutches as her body shook with the waves of pleasure and his sensual groans announced he was succumbing at the pressure of her walls around him. Calling his name with agonizing mews; Emma used his jaw to prevent a loud scream from flying free.

Then there was silence.

And then Emma wept.

"Em-Em, what´s wrong?"

She was still slightly groggy; it had been the most powerful orgasm of her life. And he loved her.

"I…I…"

He had to pull away and stare at her eyes; the expression was nothing but regretful. And Will remembered. The other man. The married man.

"I… I know I'm not the person you want…", he began clumsily; maybe she could love him someday, "But what I said… I meant it. If you-if you want… we could try, Em. I´d really love you… like you deserve"

"There´s only one man I belong to", she said whipping her tears away.

That was when his world crumpled at his feet. "Does that mean… you´ll-you´ll never love me?"

"You´re that man"

"Wh-"

"You´re the reason I left".


	11. Chapter 10

**It turned out longer than I expected, but i hope you like it as much as I do!**

**Aggie**

X

"It´s…you mean I…?", he asked tripping on his own words as Emma blubbered miserably.

"I couldn´t be here and see you married to my sister…", she sobbed an explanation he hadn´t asked for, "It´s just.. I felt so…."

"Jealous?", he helped her out, understanding her; he was jealous of every man who had gotten to touch her.

"Confused. Everything was wrong… I couldn´t look at you with out my heart breaking"

"Oh, Em…", he wouldn´t let her move to hide the tears; instead his grip tightened around her waist. _I´m the reason you left? I´m the moron who ignored you for all these years…?_, "I didn´t mean to hurt you… If I had known…"

"How could I tell you?", she had mentioned she wouldn't , "I didn´t want to be a home wrecker… I-I couldn´t do that to Claire, or the girls… not to you… but I've loved you for so long…", the weeping continued and Will caressed her watery face.

"I love you too", he needed to make her realize they were together now; "Sometimes I wouldn´t stop thinking about you… Especially after you left…but sometimes… sometimes I thought about you", he meant when she was still in Lima; when they were friends and her face plagued his mind at night, "I tried to buy that tale that you were only my best friend… that it was ok thinking about you like that... or touching you", but every touch had been deliberate, veiled with innocence when in reality there was so much more beneath it. "Why…" , he couldn´t conceal the smile appearing on his lips, "Why do you cry…? This is good, Em…"

"Then why do I feel so guilty?", _You love me? Why? Why did you marry Claire? Why is __this__ all coming to light now_?

"Because I was married to your sister", the answer was simple and Will could finally have a little clue as to why she´d acted the way she did. "And now we´re sleeping together and I just told you I love you"

"S-stop… please… I…", inelegantly she wiped her soaked face and struggled with his strong arms to sit up and leave, "I n-need to-"

"No. I just told you I love you. And you just told me you´ve loved me for ten years. So, no; I won´t let you go. You´re not going anywhere; you said you´ll never leave me"

"I didn´t say any such thin-"

"You agreed. You made love to me. Twice!"

"I love you", she sighed, "Oh, God… I can´t believe I'm saying this out loud …"

"I know…"

"But-"

"No. I won´t accept a 'but'"

"It feels… wrong"

"_Wrong_? How could you even say that?",

"That man… looking at us… and your friends…. What will they think? And your parents…? I feel… I feel like Claire had to died for us to be together… it´s… wrong"; it wasn't the people judging them; it was herself and she couldn´t help it. Maybe if she hadn´t dreamed about this for all those years, seeing it come true wouldn´t affect her this way. But she´d wished for this; and now it was real.

"Claire didn´t have to died for us to be together"

"But that´s exactly what happened"

"No! No… my marriage died the precise minute you were on that plane four years ago...", she breathed long and with difficulty; she believed him but everything was overwhelming, "I had no reason to stay with Claire… and yet I did. Hoping... I don´t know, something. Thinking about you. She had one or two quirks of yours. Maybe that was the reason... "

"Claire reminded you of me?", _Oh no… _The last thing she wanted was to remind him of his dead wife. Or vice versa.

"Not really… you… you´re irreplaceable; there´s no one like you"

"Don´t you feel like… you´re cheating on her?", her question was made with fear and shame; she felt like a cheater herself.

"No", he showed her the conviction he had and Emma´s lips puckered, "She wasn´t the one. You are"

"I feel like I´m cheating"

"You´re not. I´m not. We love each other. Is very simple, really…"

"It´s a struggle for me…", he looked at her quizzically, "loving you"

"That hurts, Emma", he shook his head, taking the thorn in his heart.

"I don´t mean to hurt you…", for years, loving him and harm came hand by hand; it was hard splitting that, "You-You´re everything I always wanted, but this feels wrong…"

"So, you just opened your heart, fed mine and now what? You´re gonna leave?"

"I don't want to leave", she sobbed and caressed his face. "I´m just trying to be honest with you"

"Then don´t leave", he clenched her hand and begged; if she was gone, he´d die.

"I don´t know if I can survive another day without you", she admitted truthfully. Living apart from him was living in the darkness.

"That means you´ll stay?" he cherished her words and grasped her face to look at her, "with me?"

"I…"

"You´ll be hurting yourself and breaking my heart if you say no", he warned and pressed their mouths together, "I want you to let me love you"

"Ok", she couldn´t hurt him; the mere thought gave her chills and as tough as moral would fight with her heart; her heart would win. Always. That was the reason she was lying naked with him in the first place.

"You´ll be with me?"

"Y-yes", she nodded against his lips again and Will rolled them over so he covered her tiny body, "I.. I´ll try to work this out. Guilt", she clarified seeing him furrow in confusion, "I´ll try not to feel guilty"

"And I´ll try to make things easier for you"

-XX-

"Did the girls have to leave for you to kiss me?", his voice was soft behind her neck, his hands resting securely on her belly, keeping her glued to him.

"What do you mean?", she knew exactly what he meant. The only place where she was the Emma he´d fallen in love with was in the privacy of his house. Or hers.

"I mean…", he shook his head and she turned hers to look at him; his curls soaked, the scent of the shampoo fruit-bearing, "never mind… ", tenderly he squeezed her and wrapped his toes at the end of the bathtub with hers, "I´m just happy you´re here"

"You want more don´t you?"

"Yes", he wouldn´t lie, but remembered he´d promised to make things easy for her; he´d decided not to push her.

"I´m trying… I´m really trying", she whispered ashamed, "I-I just… I´m really trying to imagine this…"

"What?"

"What would people say… what your parents would do… the girls…"

"I only care for Sam and Mora", he stated with confidence; the only two people in the world whose opinion mattered where his kids´. He hoped they accepted this… with time maybe.

"I know… you… You´ll wait, right?", she asked with apprehension and longing; longing for her nieces to accept the fact they were together; "I c-can´t tell them yet. I don´t think they´ll be ok-"

"We´ll wait; but know this: they love you", he reassured her soothingly, "Let´s have dinner tonight"

"Ok", her mouth was tender kissing him. "You really are making things easier for me"

"I´m trying", he sent her one of his loop-side grins and Emma bit her lip when his hands rubbed the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen.

"Thank you for trying", she gave him another kiss; a deeper and longer kiss, her hand bringing him closer, her shoulders rotating to face him a little more.

"You´re welcome", her lips where on his again and this time, he wasted no time to re-read the signal, "Let´s go to bed"

"Let´s stay here…", her declaration was hot and playful; the bed could wait a little.

-XX-

"You´re going with him?", his question was cautious, but positive about the upcoming answer. It was a last minute invitation Emma had accepted with reluctance.

"You know I am…", Clark would pick her up in a couple of minutes and Will was hard on her feet, "You´re not jealous, are you?"

"Of course I am", his voice was composed, but there was a hint of hassle in it; they had a little few more nights alone before Sam and Mora returned from his parents´, "I´m jealous of every man who got to be with you"

"You know I wasn´t with many men…", she spoke with sooth, applying some lip-gloss on her lips, not wanting to make a big deal out of this; _Oh, Will… I only love you_.

"That Antoine guy…", suddenly his insecurities came to float, but only for a moment, Emma discovered later, "You told me you were clueless before him… I don´t even want to imagine what he _did_ to you…", with haste he walked past her and immediately returned to stand behind her, and watch her finish applying her make-up, "It´s driving me insane". His sweet innocent, Emma… _what did you do when you lied next to him?_

"He´s in France", _far from me and you_.

"And that moron you brought home that spring…", he obliged her to look at him, turning her around by her elbow; "He took your virginity, didn´t he?", he had no idea why he was bringing that up now but was sure she´d given him her virginity; she had to have. She had no other boyfriends before him.

"W-Wil…", she was blushing when he spoke on her mouth, "Why are you asking me-"

"It should have been me…", he felt her shiver in his arms and brushed the soft waves off her shoulders.

"I wished it was you", she felt the stubble on his cheeks and seeing the depth in his stare, Emma took in the sensation he stirred in her.

"If I wasn´t married I would have been that man", he said with fervor and pressed himself harder against her, his finger pads outlined her naked collar bone and neck.

"Are you always this possessive?", she was breathless. He did that to her…

"No. Only with you. I´m sorry… but this", he meant her mouth and caressed it softly, "this…", then moved his fingers to her temple, connoting her intelligence, "these…", and boldly, he cupped her breast and squeezed them lightly, "and this…", and then kneaded her ass greedily, "…All of this; is all mine. You understand? You can´t take that away from me"

"Oh, Will… I… ", she began panting when his tongue licked the now heated flesh behind her ear, "M-make love to me"

"No"

"_No?!_"

"Your date will be here in any second", slowly he pulled away and planted an innocent kiss on her lips.

"He´s not my date", she whined and leaned a little forward, "Make love to me"

"I´ll come pick you up"

"In Toledo?", _you wouldn´t_… She couldn´t believe his need of control would go that far.

"And bring you back home. Safe. And then… then I´m gonna make love to you. All night"

"Ok"

"Go", he gave a soft squeeze to her ass and she giggled to release some of the tension he had so easily created.

-XX-

_Will, it´s me. Uhm, Clark… he insisted __on taking__ me back home. I don´t know where you are… Call me please._

His teeth clenched when hearing Emma´s uncomfortable voice message. Clearly that Clark guy was with her.

"Em?"

"Will…", she breathed on the speaker with relief, "Are you ok? Why didn´t you pick up-?"

"I'm fine, I was on the phone. The car had a little short-circuit and I´m pulled off on the road waiting for the AAA"

"Where are you?"

"Erm, near the intersection with Cygnet road"

"I´ll ask Clark to drop me there"

"A-are you- No", suddenly his authoritative side spoke for him, "It´s late"

"I agree; it´s late for you to be alone there", she replied strictly and then whispered so her companion wouldn´t hear her, "I don´t want to be alone with him"

"I don´t want you to be alone with him either", he sensed her smile and one appeared on his mouth. "Ok. I´ll wait for you here"

"Where else would you go?", her tease made his breathing become quicker.

"Don´t play smart, Emma", he seduced her with an unyielding voice.

"I am smart"

"You are…", then it softened, "one of the many things I love about you"

"Besides my ass?", she murmured that last part and Will chuckled

"Besides your ass"

"Ok. I´ll see you in a while"

-XX-

"Hey… you ok?", she didn´t realize she had jogged to him until he looked at her with an amused expression, "You shouldn´t have drove"

"I told you I´d pick you up"

"Oh, Will… you´re so stubborn", she should just give up with him; the man wouldn´t yield. But she appreciated it, she loved the way her body heated up when he held her or looked at her like he was doing now.

"I know", a soft kiss was her reward for not complaining.

"I-I´m sorry…", she stammered when remembering she wasn´t alone, "Clark, this is Will… he´s my-"

"Boyfriend", he interrupted before she could think of a proper adjective to describe their relationship.

"Nice to meet you", handsome Clark shook his head. He was definitely good-looking and tall; and blond with cerulean eyes. "I thought you were engaged…?"

"We are", Will was quick answering again whilst snaking his arm around her waist.

Her mouth was ashy, though. _This is what lying brings… Shit!_

"I see… Well… Are you going to be ok?", he asked directly at Emma.

"Y-yes, don´t worry. Thank you for the ride, Clark"

The man´s car disappeared in the night and soon they were alone. It was a lonely road, indeed.

"So… that was Clark, uh? Quite a catch", Will mentioned unimportantly, except everything about her co-worker was enviable. The looks, the manners, the car (the ultimate Mercedes model)…

"Not really", she shook her head and moved towards his car, pulled over on the side of the road, a few feet from the lonely pavement.

"He likes you", he said, teasing her now, remembering one tiny little detail.

"I don´t care", _Will… please. _She couldn´t tell if he was upset, jealous, or just playing silly.

"I do. I don´t like the way he was checking you out", actually the man only had glanced at her ass when she was trotting to him; but he was certain he´d have it memorized after all the mornings he´d surely spent ogling at it.

"He wasn´t…", maybe Clark was interested in her, but he´d never tried anything; he knew about her relationship status. Emma had made sure to make that quite clear; more than once.

"He was. Even though your fiancée was here", Will had to bite his lip to avoid laughing when Emma´s expression changed from annoyance to discomfort.

_Ha…! See? That´s why lying is always a crappy idea. _"I…."

"You told him I was your fiancée?", slowly he moved to her, so he was facing her.

"I told him I was engaged…", it sounded even sillier saying that out loud, Emma gasped, and the blush was never that intense, "He asked me about the ring"

"A ring _I_ gave you", suddenly all the coolness was back and now Will felt strong and lucky.

"I never talked about you", she said softly, shaking her head, "With anyone, actually… It didn´t feel ok... you know because you and Cla-"

_What_? His eyes became sadder and Emma could see right through them; does_ it embarrass you, talking about us?_

"But I thought of you when I said I'd get married", she could tell him more; he deserved it and the sorrow in his eyes was heart-breaking, "I always thought about you when I was with someone else… I thought it was you telling me all the pretty things I´ve been told"; she felt sorry for the men she´d hurt in the way of forgetting him; vain thing to try, actually. She could never forget him.

"You did?"; _welcome back, self-assurance_.

"Yeah…", she felt like an idiot and sighed signifying her own ingenuousness.

"It´s cute", gently he enveloped her waist and brought her closer

Her head shook, "It´s silly"

"I think it´s cute", a kiss on her gullet then another on her chin.

"It´s creepy"

"Emma?", her stare was clouded with humiliation and he smiled sweetly, feeling comforted again, "Shut up"

"No"

"No?", his eyebrows creased, but amusement was written all over his face.

"No. Look where we are because that silly quirk of yours to come find me…"

"I know, we had better plans…", he winked and used his teeth to tug on her earlobe, "I´ll make it up to you"

"O-ok"

"Now"

"_N-Now?_", she gasped and looked around, to the dark surroundings; there were barely any lights.

"Yes. Now"

"W-what about AAA?"

"What about them?", his voice was playful; his hands, seductive, moving unflinchingly across her back.

"Someone might come", she whispered, her voice husky, but slightly fearful.

"Yes. That´d be you"

"I-I-I…", she tottered backwards, bumping with the bar behind her; she´d never done something like this before… it was… exciting. And he was moving towards her stealthily.

"Don't you want to?", his question was mischievous while taking her in his arms and sucking softly at her pulse point; her hands were already stocking the skin of his nape.

"I do. But-"

"Then don´t speak, Em", wisely, he opened the backseat´s door, opposite to the road. Indiscrete eyes were the last thing he wanted, and she landed on the leather seat with Will on top of her; their legs hanging out the opened door.

"I´ve never done this", she said when he deposited wet kisses on her shoulders.

"I did. Once. But this… this is way hotter"

She giggled and peeled his shirt off, "You´ve worked out", his body was really amazing; he had the strongest and most toned arms she´d ever seen. And wide, firm, chest… _Ugh_… "I like your body"

"I like your body as well, Miss Pillsbury", he slid the top of her strapless dress down her waist, bringing her bra with it and freeing her breasts in the process, "I like your body very much", he mumbled before closing his mouth around her nipple and twirling his tongue around it. Her back arched to him, several 'ohs' and 'ahs' leaving her lungs and soon her breathing was quickening, her hips following its natural instinct and pushing up, "I want to make you scream", he wasn´t asking her permission. Just saying it; he´d make her scream. And his hands submerged underneath the tight fabric of her cocktail dress and crumpled it up around her waist, with the rest of the gown. "I want to make you scream so bad"; she was panting and he nibbled at her panties and slid them down her legs.

And forcefully, he tasted her.

And Emma cried.

And he took every inch of flesh in his mouth.

"_OhGod… GodWill_", her hips hoisted and Emma had to grip the back of the front seat when his tongue flapped and teased her now highly heated flesh; the sensation was too much. And she could only gasp when he hooked the back of her knees and placed her legs on his shoulders, pressing himself more into her. "_Will!_", he was pinning her against the door and seat; the heat was unbearable, and the building too intense; and Emma climbed high, and higher… and everything was throbbing and burning and she was almost there…

And then he stopped; her heels digging into his back, painfully, coaxing him to continue. But he didn´t. Instead, he climbed on top of her to bite her lip and Emma moaned.

"Please… Please, Will…", she pleaded when his hand kept teasing her over-sensitive flesh.

"Do you want me inside you, Emma?"

"Y-yes…", she fought and undid the buttons of his pants; his erection was strong and unyielding through the thin fabric of his boxers, "I want you…"

"How?"

"Now"

"How, not when", he chuckled retrieving his hand between her legs; a whine was her call to move it back where it was. He had other plans, and slowly, brought his index to her mouth. It was damp and perfumed with her need. "Suck", he ordered and tentatively her tongue moved around him.

It was her on his own flesh. It was erotic and kinky… And she meowed at the newness of the superb experience.

"Tell me how you want me"

"Hard", she puffed simply, releasing his finger with a sonorous popping sound; her honesty catching him unaware for a moment, "fuck me hard"

And he did; he didn´t even take his pants off, but let them crumple around his ankles.

"Like that?", he growled pushing into her depths, pushing her further apart, and sensing himself greedier as ever.

"Oh yes, right there… _rightthere_", they moved; madly. It was hard, though; there was so little space.

"I love you, Emma"

"_Iloveyoutoo_", she breathed with difficulty as their bodies collided together and pleasure built up.

"Are you happy?", his voice was a husky groan, his hand possessive yet sweet holding her head still.

"Yes"

"With me?", he demanded, moving faster, keeping her steady when she tried to move.

"_Yes_", he was overwhelming her; he always did and Emma fought back a whimper.

"I want to make you happy"

"You do… _youdo_"

And they kissed as long as passionately as the air allowed them to. The dance was hot, his movements long and deep and Emma purred from the back of her throat.

"C´mon, Em… come…", he begged when her insides began to clutch his hardness; she was at the doors of orgasm , "C´mon…", he would explode at any second.

"Yes…"

"Come for me"

"Y-yes", she obeyed, her body shaking and contracting; her belly turning and sweat breaking all over her; the leather of the seat sticking on her back and the joy… "_Will…!_", her body detonated and Emma held herself to him, tight, crying feverishly, feeling him following her behind.

And then a truck blew its horn at them when driving at full speed past them.

His breath was rough against her mouth, his hands gentle caressing the sensitive skin of her breasts. A soft kiss lingered on her mouth when he pulled off her and a weak smile curved her lips.

"Hello, Miss Pillsbury"

"I-I can´t believe we just did that", she was struggling to catch the air.

"What?", he played silly and left another kiss on each eyelid.

"You know…", still all in, Emma hid her face under his chin and rejoiced with the remaining warmth amid their hips.

"You´re delicious, aren´t you?"

"Will!", a nervous giggle joined his chuckle when he looked at her pretty eyes, "I-I've never, uhm, done _that_ before", the admittance was tinted with bashfulness.

"I thought you´d done stuff with that Antoine guy", he loved teasing her.

"Will!", she said again and smacked his shoulder, playfully, "That´s very rude"

"Is it?"

"Yes, don´t play smart", she warned, the shyness never leaving her voice; although there was no proof, she felt so inexperienced next to him. Maybe it was his boldness next to her coyness.

"But I like playing smart", he bit her lip again and the redhead looked at him, so close. "I was kidding…"

"I know…", she did, but he was looking at her with a serious expression and caressed her balmy cheek.

"I want to make love to you. Over and over again"

"Ok"


	12. Chapter 11

**XI**

"Can you go to Sam´s room, Em? I´m pretty sure I saw a pair of scissors there…", he asked tugging with the label of the new shirt Emma had bought for him.

The redhead nodded and going in her niece´s room opened one of drawers from Sam´s desk. There were many papers and drawings; letters she´d gotten from her school friends and one curious envelope, right on the bottom.

It was grayish and slightly wrinkled. It had an official stamp from the post office.

_Returned to sender_.

It was sent to Paris. To her.

It had Claire´s name on the front. And it was opened.

_Emmy,_

_I´m sorry if my letter upsets you… I´ve been trying to reach you and Mum and Dad won´t give me your address. So I stole it from mum´s addresses book. I´m sorry. But I wanted to talk to you. _

_The girls are huge and always asking about you. Sam especially; she won´t shut up and always tells her teacher about that day when you took her to the zoo. Mora is always shy, but I'm sure she still remembers you. It´s been so long really. And __even though__ things are still the same around here (Lima isn´t that interesting) they __couldn't__ actually be more different. _

_Something happened when you left. Something… snapped._

_ I´m divorcing Will, Emma. _

_It goes a long way back… I think Mora coming to the world was a desperate attempt we had to save our marriage. I love Mora. Please don´t think I'm a bad mother… Although sometimes I feel like one. You would have done things so __differently__ and, as silly as this might sound I always think how you´d do things… _

_Still, this time is harder. _

_I know you´d never divorce your husband; because for a start you´d get married for the right reasons, not for the spur of the moment as Will and I did. _

_I know you´d never divorce Will._

_It´s not that we grew out of each other… I love him very much but I feel I'm still waiting for my big life explosion; I thought he´d __give__ me that… and I´m pretty sure he feels the same about me. _

_And now… now everything is clear. It all began when you left. I guess that was the only good thing __about__ your departure. He misses you__ terribly__, you know? I think you leaving __was a big shock to him._

_Was he the reason? Sometimes I think he was. You always shine when he __was__ around. But__ then__ you __became__ gray and blue. And you hid and didn´t speak. I don´t resent you, Emmy. Please don´t think I have nasty feelings for you, because I don´t. You always protected me and you didn´t have to. And now you thought it was your time to protect yourself. But it´s not. Em, it´s really not. _

_He called your name once__; while he was sleeping__. I don´t know what he was dreaming of or if he remembered anything. I felt no jealousy. I didn't feel he owned me an explanation or an apology. The only thing I regretted was you not being here. _

_There was only one thing I was sure and that was it was time. If only I had the courage to speak to him before…._

_Come back, please. _

_Everyone deserves to be happy; and I want you to be with the right person. _

_I love you,_

_Claire._

When tears began flowing down her cheeks, Emma didn´t register anything around her.

The only thing she could feel was her heart pounding violently, the blood running madly through her veins and a sticky, disturbing hot all over her body.

"Em, what´s taking you so lo-", he halted when seeing her standing in the middle of the room, and her face white and in a blink he was holding her, "What´s wrong?"

"It´s-it´s Claire´s l-letter", she sobbed shaking her hand fisting the old paper, "W-why do-does Sam have t-this?", there were hard things to explain in the letter… _Oh, please __tell me she__ didn´t read it, __she couldn't have__ read it…_

"I-I don´t know, Em. I don´t know…I´m going to talk to her about thi-"

"It´s not about that!", she exclaimed suddenly, pulling away from him, "Will… this letter… this letter is basically saying she´d divorce you…", his eyes widened; evidently he wasn´t planning on telling his kids their parents would be separated, "and other things… things a girl her age shouldn´t read". Her bright eyes met his concerned ones and shakily, Emma handed him the sheet and sat on the edge of the bed, "Oh my God…", everything was falling apart; so easily. "she read this… What if she read this? Wh-what are we going to tell her?"

"Maybe she didn´t read it", Will announced after a moment he used to read Claire´s written words, "This was sent back here… almost three years ago. Claire was still alive…"

"It was opened, Will… Maybe she did read it… i´m-i´m not ready to tell them", the mere idea scared the crap out of her.

"Will you ever be?", he blurted without thinking and Emma cringed.

"Why are you attacking me?", her tears were chubby and left a bright trace running down her face; he didn´t understand, he´d never understand how hard he had penetrated in her heart, and how soon.

"I´m sorry", he hated seeing her like that and hated himself even more for not keeping his word. He said he´d make things easier for her.

"I´m j-just being honest with you", her head shook with frustration; she really wanted this to work, it was all that mattered to her… but now… now it was so complicated.

"I know… I'm sorry", carefully, he took her hand and pulled her to him, "I just… you know we´ll need to talk to her, right? We can´t leave this like this… I don´t want her to have any wrong idea about that letter"

"If she has, she´s been chewing it for the last three years", Emma replied bitterly and looked at his furrowed expression, "you´re right, though"

-XX-

"Hello Mr. And Mrs. Schuester", she said with a warm smile. Finally, Will´s parents were there, with Sam and Mora. The two little girls were tanned and excited to be back home and they scramble for who was the first on climbing Emma.

"Oh dear, will you ever call us Richard and Sarah? like everyone else?", Mr. Schuester kissed her cheek and looked at her with the gentler smile as his wife planted another kiss on her, "You look so good. Paris suits you"

"Thank you", she said coyly. Paris hadn´t suited her, Will did.

"I think Lima does", Will meddled winking at her and blush crept up her cheeks.

"Maybe..."

He loved the coy Emma and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Will you guys stay for dinner?"

"Erm, I don´t know…", Mrs. Schuester noticed the way his hand was encircling the redhead and smiled acknowledging, "we don´t want to interrupt…You are probably tired and we have a long drive"

"Why don´t you spend the night, then?" He offered, omitting his mother´s silly grin, "We have room."

"I could take the girls with me and you can stay in their room", Emma invited; she really liked Will´s parents.

"Are you sure? We can crowd together-"

"Don´t be silly, Will. There´s no reason. I have an extra room at home for Sam and Mora"

-XX-

"I´ve always liked Emma", Mr. Schuester stated when they were finally settled at Will´s house. And his son blushed noticeably.

Emma was already gone carrying a very drowsy Sam and a talkative Mora.

"I´ve always liked Emma too", his admittance was low; his smirk, though, was wide and merry.

"I suspect there´s something else going on... But when you´re ready to tell me, you know I´ll always listen"

"I love her", the words ejected his mouth and he wasn´t even capable of stopping them. Mr. Schuester chocked on his coffee at the sudden confession and Will smirked nervous, "I do".

"You love her?"

"Don´t tell me you are also judging me...", he begged fixing his eyes on the reddish wine; _Please, help me prove Emma wrong…_

"I´m not", one could tell when Mr. Schuester lied. He wasn´t then and Will sighed reassured, "I´m just surprised... I mean, you always had a soft spot for her… you were always taking care of her, but I didn´t think it was something that strong… Are you sur-"

"I am. I´ve loved Emma for a very long time... Even before I was supposed to"

"Does she know?"

"Yes"

"And…?", Will looked worried, his father didn´t understand and asked, prompting him to explain himself, "Will, what´s going on? I've never seen you like this... so nervous".

"I´m the reason she left"

"You mean-?"

"She's had feelings for me since we met… and I married her sister… that´s why she left"

"My poor child...", Mr. Schuester sighed sympathetically, counting Will´s marriage years… almost 9 years...

"I feel so guilty for her and Claire", he admitted and swallowed his drink in one gulp.

"You loved Claire", his father pointed with a sad smile

"I did… but Emma blew my mind since the moment I first saw her. And I married Claire"

"You did what you thought it was right… You don´t have to feel guilty"

"Dad… Emma left… she had to run away… because I was hurting her…"

"You didn´t know, son", the silence was heavy, the night slightly warm and Will let himself fall on the swinging chair, "Have you talked with her about this?"

"Sometimes I´m afraid she´d leave again… She feels we´re cheating", his father expression corroborated he felt the same way he did, "I know… It´s… I want her to be happy with us, being together… But if I tell her this… I´m sure she´ll understand everything upside down and leave again. And I can´t have that again"

"I understand why you guys feel like that… both of you… "

"We love each other, that´s not wrong, right?"

"Of course it´s not…Love is never wrong"

"I just don´t want to hurt her anymore"

-XX-

"I´m going to be honest with you…", he whispered close when she was making dinner; his parents entertaining the girls as they had a moment alone, "I wished my parents took them for another week"

"Will!", she giggled when his mouth rested on the crook of her neck and inhaled her perfume, "Don´t…", she sighed and smiled at the precious contact; she´d missed him so much, "someone might come in…"

"They know…"

"_What_?", _You told them? _He had touched her once or twice, maybe in a way a bother in law shouldn´t touch her, but that couldn´t have sold them, right?

"My father… he kinda asked me…", he pulled away slowly and kissed the corner of her mouth, smirking at her horrified expression, "and mum wouldn´t stop making remarks on how pretty you are. I couldn´t disagree, you see…"

She sent him an admonition grin and bit her lip, "You won´t get me with that…"

"They are happy, Em"

"They are?"

"Yes… mum is happy for us; dad thinks we shouldn´t feel bad about it", his mouth silenced her forthcoming protest, "We had a little talk…", he squeezed her waist and swept their lips together again, "Don´t be mad"

"I'm not", her hand stroked his chin and Will´s boyish smile came to view, "I wish you´d have told me, tho…"

"I did", he defended himself with another peck and she giggled.

-XX-

"Sam, sweetie?", Emma´s voice was soft entering the room and seeing the night table on, "Can´t you sleep?", it was past 11 and the girl was sitting on her bed, her legs neatly folded under her derrière.

"No"

"Would you like some warm milk?", Sam shook her head and Emma went to her, "It always helps me…"

"I don´t want milk", she was being too reserved for her own good, and the redhead furrowed.

"What´s going on?" concern casted her voice.

"Why were you and dad kissing?"

_Holy fuck…_

The girl was definitely a lot more like Claire than Mora; straight and plainly spoken.

And Emma felt a violent shake pulling her stomach and all the blood being drained from her body.

"I, uhm…", _Tell her the truth. Now. The time is now…_ but she couldn´t manage to speak clearly.

"I think you´re his girlfriend….", there was no emotion in her speech. The whole idea seemed to be hard to process for the little girl. Emma couldn't blame her; she was her aunt and had kissed her father, who was previously married to her mother. It was wacky. "Are you?"

Sam was thirsty for information and the question was made slightly impatiently; "Do you… are you upset?"

"I´m not… I don´t understand. Dad loved mum"

Emma´s heart squirmed, "I´m sure he did…"

"Then why does he want a girlfriend?", she wasn´t what Emma would say 'happy'; hurt maybe. It made her feel worse.

"Because everyone wants to be loved-"

"But you… I don't want you to be my mum"

Instinctively, her hand flew to her mouth to stiff a sob. "I-I won´t be your mum… I´ll be your aunt. Just like alw-"

"I don´t want another mum. I want mine"

"I know you do… But she´s not here anymore… I-I could take care of you-"

"My dad can take care of me!", Sam shrieked, fisting the mattress at her sides, "Why do you want to help him?"

"I love him, Sam. And I love you and Mora", Emma hid the tear slipping out the corner of her eye; this was worse than she´d expected. "I could take care of you, if you want…"

Sam wasn´t saying anything more, and tentatively Emma went to touch her face, but the girl buried it on the pillow before her Aunt could touch it.

"I won´t do anything to hurt you, Sam", her voice was hoarse, but tried to maintain her poise and tucked her niece in bed, "I´ll leave if me being here hurts you…", Will would burst, she just knew it; but Emma couldn´t bear with making them miserable or being hated by them.

"Like… You´ll leave like that one time…? That hurt me", she said simply and showed her browed crinkled face.

"That-that means you´re ok with this…?", her voice trembled and she sniffed, drying her cheeks with the hem of her sleeve, "with Will and me being together? Because we lov-"

"No", Sam showed her back to her and threw the cover above her head, "I don´t want another mum, I want mine"

"Sam, I-"

"I want dad", the girl whined and Emma attempt to caress her face; this time, she didn´t shy away.

**A/N: ok, I know I´ve ended up quite abruptly, but this doesn´t end here! Thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 12

**XII**

"Are you ok?", she´d been quiet most of the evening, and now with his parents gone and his daughters in bed, Will was enjoying Emma´s company.

"I…", Sam´s words and the look on her face were still running through her mind. _What does she want? Me, leaving? Away from Will?_

"You were… a little off today…", he said softly, suspecting and also fearing something had happened. _Please, don´t feel guilty about us…_

"I think you should talk to Sam", she mentioned, making an effort to sound unworried, "about the letter", she hadn´t mentioned the little episode with his daughter

"The letter?", his question was charged with surprise and Will pulled away from their embrace to look at her, "I thought you wanted to wait"

"I did… but Sam… she, uhm…", she cleared her throat and shunned his gaze, wondering how much was too much to say, "she mentioned something last night… She told me she wanted her mum. She was really upset…"

"What did she tell you?", there was something she was definitely not bringing up.

"She saw us kissing"

"Wha-when?"

"I don´t know! I didn´t ask her!", she snorted rubbing her face, nearly fraught, and shifted on the couch, "I _knew_ this would happen… She doesn´t want this…"

"Ok. Wait.. Em… Wait", his voice was laced with smoothness, yet firm and determined to make her listen, "Can you honestly tell me you didn´t expect this?", the redhead bit her lip, but said nothing, "I´d be worried if she was jumping and crying happily…"; however he feared a little as well. Sam was barely ever upset, but when she was, it was bedlam.

"You don´t understand… s-she wouldn´t even let me touch her"

"Oh, Em…", comfortingly, his arms surrounded her and Will kissed her lips, softly, "Is this why you were so drawn back?"

"Of course… I didn´t want to make her more uncomfortable…", she sniffed and submitted to his embrace.

"Is there anything else I should know before talking to her?", he asked in a murmur, stroking her head, "I will soon"

"No", she lied; if she admitted she´d literally left in Sam´s hands her stay in Lima, Will would murdered her.

-XX-

"Faster, Will… faster", she breathed, arching her back to him, feeling his fingers burring in her hips.

"Oh, God… what´s gotten into you, baby?", he increased speed, scraping the blazing skin of her nape, his hips slamming vigorously against her ass.

"You…", her arms were numb already, she´d been bearing her weigh in the headboard for too long now, "I´m-I´m-"

"Hold it, Em… hold it…", he begged, desperate to drink in her impulsiveness a little more.

"I can´t…", she was close… so close now… And he grasped her chin and turned it to see her, "Come with me", instead he stopped and turned her around, eliciting a frustrated growl from her.

"I want to kiss you", he said lowering himself on top of her, his hand caressing her redden face, concern slightly appearing on his eyes, "Are you ok? Did I hurt you?"

"No…", _What if we can´t get through this?_ _What if we can´t be together?_, "I just love you so much"

"I love you more", he replicated the adoring confession, slowly easing into her, "I love you very much"

"Oh, Will…", she held him close, as close as they´d ever been and moved in his accord; dawdling, tenderly…

"Don´t worry…", he wished she didn´t, and felt her legs encircling his waist and his arms did the same around her shoulders. Maybe that was it; it had to be it…

"O-ok…", she felt him move, in almost an agonizing measured rhythm; sliding in, out, lingering surrounded by her, and her body shuddered, "Oh, Will…"

"You…", he panted, his tongue leaving wet traces across her chin, "…can´t worry about us"

"I don´t", she fibbed and sensed his grip tightening around her, "I-"

"You do", he gave her a hard thrust, and she whined, "Don´t", his flesh was in her mouth, forcefully, hers meeting him and Will heaved at her lower lip.

"O-ok"

"I don´t want you to worry about anything", then his movements become slower again, careful and tender

"Ok"

"I can take care of us"

"Oh, Will…", his voice and body nourished her and Emma kissed him, caressed him and clung onto him as the pulsation increased and tremors begun; she was about to explode, his intensity blew her away and tears threaten to overflow her eyes; "_Iloveyou… Iloveyousomuch_"

"I know", his moans were deep, low as her walls clamped and puffed whimpers left her throat, and he was taken to the edge, quivering and convulsing on top of the shaky Emma, who kept wailing and squirming below him.

It felt like it was the first time she´d done this and when finally her pulse slowed down, and her arms recovered the strength to rise again, she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him deeply, tasting her own tears on the kiss.

"I´m ok", she wept seeing Will was about to start with the inquiry.

"I don´t know whether to feel flattered or alarmed about you crying after making love", he teased and Emma giggled planting another kiss on him.

"Sometimes it scares me how much I love you, that´s all…", she shared with a hint of embarrassment, dropping another kiss on his neck.

"Same here…", silently, he shifted and settled his elbows beneath her, cradling her head in his palms, their eyes locked.

"I´ve thought about this for so many nights… For years…"

"I know… just… don´t let guilt-"

"I´m not… After reading the letter…", she fondled with the silver chain around her neck, a light smile curving her lips, "I don´t feel like that"

"Sam worries you…", it was a statement more than a question and finally he put out his own concerns as well, "She worries me too"

Emma knew she did; it was his daughter, but was glad he could tell her his troubles. He always seemed beyond that, beyond problems; but now she discovered he bottled things up. And so did she.

"But we´ll work it out"

"Ok"

-XX-

"Look! A bunny!", Emma said pointing at a spongy cloud above their heads.

"And that´s a flower", the girl giggled and snuggled on her aunt´s chest, facing the sky, "This is fun"

"I like it too, honey", Mora tilted her head up and looked at her with a serious gaze, "You ok?"

"Will you leave again?"

"Wh-"

"I don´t want you to go", she said; sadness was evident, it was blotted all over her face.

"What makes you think I will?"

"I heard you talking to Sam", she admitted embarrassed and went back to her chest.

_Oh, no…_ "I-what did you hear?", she asked hesitantly wondering if she´d asked anything to her dad.

"You, telling her you´d go if she wanted", she looked to be a little disorientated about the conversation taking place between her sister and Emma, "What did she say?"

"She said…", the redhead considered her words carefully; as far as she understood, Sam wanted her to stay. The problem came when dating her father, "the same you did… she would be sad if I leave"

"So you won´t go?", her voice rose, more cheerful this time.

"I won´t"

"I´d miss you"

"I´d miss you too"

"What are you guys talking about?", Will´s face appeared upside-down above them, a bright smile on his face and Sam next to him. They had been absent for almost an hour; strolling, he said when Mora asked, but Emma knew he´d talked to his eldest daughter.

"Looking for shaped clouds", Mora exclaimed pointing at the blue.

"Found any?", He leaned down and kissed his daughter´s forehead and stroked Emma´s cheek, softly.

"A couple", she whispered with pink face, glancing at Sam who went to sit next to her, silently.

"Can I look for shapes too?"

"Of course, sweetie. Come…", Emma invited sweetly and welcomed her in her arms; Sam was acting shy, though, and she suspected her father had been a little too harsh on her. Struggling to send Will a muted sign about talking about this later, Emma failed to let him know when he gave her a lovely smirk.

"Aunt Emma isn´t leaving", Mora said happily squeezing her waist and staring at Sam with a peculiar gape.

"Is she?", _What?; _Will furrowed at her before relaxing his face. They´d have time to talk later.

"Would you like to join us?"

"I´ll go get some ice-cream. Strawberries?" He knew it was her favorite flavor and Emma nodded.

-XX-

"What was Mora talking about?", he´d been chewing on his daughter´s little announcement. It sure seemed like a newsflash for her; _where the hell did she get that from?,_ "About you leaving?", Finally it was Friday and Emma wasn´t working the next day. Perfect time to have a little talk.

She´d hoped Will would forget about it. But oh, no… He certainly wouldn´t and the answer came out stammered; indicating her nervousness, "She, uhm, heard Sam and me talking…", _Oh, Mora sweetie_… "That night at home..."

"Why would she think you´d leave?", he was incredulous, his voice a little louder than he originally intended.

"Will… Shh… they´re sleeping", she glanced to the stairs, but there was no sound coming from the first floor.

"Where would she get that ridiculous idea?", something wasn´t being told, he just knew it. The way Emma circled on the couch gave her away. And the lip-biting… _Tell me!_

"Because I told Sam I would leave if she wanted", her voice was barely a whisper; _Oh, Emma, you idiot_!

"What?!", thank God he was seated; he´d have fallen on his butt otherwise; "Emma you can´t tell that to an 8 year old!", in moments like this, Will didn´t understand her, "What if she said yes?",

"She didn´t. Don´t be-"

"What if she did? You´d leave?"

Not having the courage to answer, Emma gulped and linked her hands to prevent him from noticing their shakiness, "Don´t be mad... I just... I want them to be happy"

"And what about me?"

"I want you to be happy as well"

"And how´s that gonna happen if you´re gone?"

"I´m sorry"

"You just can´t run away every time there´s something you can´t solve"

"It´s not that simple, Will… don´t be like that…How would you feel if I had kids and one of them hated you? You think that´s an easy thing to digest?"

"She doesn´t hate you, Emma… she´s just- this is new for her"

"I know it is…"

"But she doesn´t hate you", he reassured her, now more calmed, "She wants you with her"

"But she doesn´t want me to be with you", she whispered and he sighed, conceding the truth in her statement, "So…"

"So, what?", he spurred, a dreaded sweat unexpectedly breaking all over his body, "You wouldn´t be considering-No. Don´t you even think about it", suddenly, he grabbed her by the arms and forced her to face him, "Are you actually considering this?"

"N-no", he was really passionate; she could witness that in moments like this, in moments when he was scared or tried to make her see his point, "I´m thinking about Sam"

"Why don´t you let _me_ do the thinking… ?"

"Because you disregard some things"

"And you over think others"

It wasn´t a serious discussion anymore, the atmosphere relaxed and Will sighed, resting completely on the back of the couch, "Will you ever get tired of driving me mad?"

"Will you ever get tired of being so impulsive?"

"Nope"

"Same here"

He chuckled softly and she smiled, sitting next to him, "I won´t go. I won´t leave you", she couldn´t; despite the fact that she´d promised Sam she would if that was what she really wanted.

"I know… It´s just hard to believe it when you once told me I could always count on you and then disappeared for two years…", it wasn´t a reproach, just a bitter memory that kept invading his mind.

"If you try being a little less… impetuous I´ll stay", her lips were warm on the corner of his mouth and so was her joke.

"Don´t like this new side of me?", he continued her mocking.

"I like it… very much.. I just didn´t know it"

"I told you I wasn´t like this before…"

"So you blame me?"

"I do"

"I blame you for stealing my heart long ago"

Gently, he brought her to him, and used his fingers to comb her hair, "I don´t want you to worry about Sam or Mora. They love you. And Sam… she´s understanding"

"About that…", she remembered, and gaped at him, "What did you tell her? What did she say about the letter?"

"She had no idea what it said… she couldn´t read Claire´s handwriting…", he explained calmly, "I only told her that letter was to you and that you never got it, so she should do what´s right. So, you´ll probably have it soon…"

"Ok…", Emma nodded; he´d done right… It made no sense telling her everything now. She was too young.

"And about us… I just told her I love you and even though you´re not her mother, you love her as such"

"That was what I told her… and she almost ran away-"

"She understood. And said she loves you too… she´s just trying to assimilate everything"

"I know. I´ll try to help her", she promised serious, "I want her to be happy, Will"

"Believe me… she is when you´re here. We all are"


	14. Chapter 13

**slowly, this story in reaching to its end- thoughts about this chapter?**

* * *

**XIII**

Summer ended, the streets emptied of the idle students and a new school year started.

And Emma tried to help Sam, just as she´d promised.

It wasn´t actually hard; soon and after the initial awkwardness was over, their relationship flowed just like it used to. The girl was affectionate, asking her to go see her during the skating competitions and spending one or two nights at her place for a sleep-over.

Being alone with Sam or Mora was a delight; the little ones were the daughters she never had and with everything in her, Emma made sure she would pamper them and also lecture them about any inappropriate behavior they had (it rarely happened; both knew 'what was not to be done').

The difficulty was when the four of them were together.

When Will would place one or two kisses on her neck, or touch her too close to her chest and her cheeks would shine red with embarrassment.

Or when they´d spend a weekend together watching a Disney movie and he would envelope her in his arms, as the girls laid on the carpet savoring the candies Emma would buy for them.

"You have mousse on you lip", he chuckled seeing the brownish spot on her face while she helped him clean off the table.

"Will..." his lips surprised her, a kiss with the girls standing so close, "Don´t", he furrowed his brow slightly, but enough for Emma to noticed it, "I don´t want to make them uncomfortable..."

"We are together… they know", he halted his movements, leaving the dirty plates on the table and watched her.

"Yes"

"So why?", he demanded, taking her chin and lifting her face; she was helpless, carrying a pile of dirty bowls and cutlery and she couldn't pull away.

"Please indulge me. Just for a while...", her petition was soft, leaning a little forward, "Let´s take it easy? Please?"

"Ok", he sighed, frustrated, knowing she had a valid point; except he had no intention of taking it easy.

"Don´t be mad", her mouth landed on his, for the briefest moment and his head shook.

"I´m not", he wasn´t, he only felt frustration. She didn´t believe him and lowered her gape, wondering if what she was doing things ok or if he was right. "I´m not mad", he repeated seeing her expression, "I´m just... I want to be with you like a normal couple"

"We are not a normal couple", she said with a soft smile and a sigh, "there´s nothing normal about us"

"You say it like it was a bad thing", _what is normal anyway_? She was wrong this time.

"I don´t"

"Ok", He conceded and pulled away noticing the girls were watching them and Emma was flushing red, "Do you guys want some warm milk?"

-X-

They had one or two get togethers with a couple of his friends.

They went out alone a couple of times too; at night, to Rosalita´s or to some of the bars uptown Will knew so well.

It worked perfectly fine, when there was no one watching them closely, or when Emma wouldn´t notice any nosy eyes. She felt comfortable enough to bat her eyelashes at him once or twice, and even relaxed enough to kiss him softly when he´d make a sweet comment about her.

_So this is what being in a normal, loving, relationship __feels__ like…_

Being flattered and cherished, indulging him, adoring him; arguing and dying for reconciliation sex, because feeling away from him was like physical torture.

Only that night, it didn´t happen.

That night, when dancing alongside other couples, Emma felt the annoying sensation of having a pair of eyes adhered to her nape.

Gracefully, Will spun her around and when facing her back again, he noticed her discomfort.

"What´s wrong?"

"No-nothing", _Bullcrap_. She had seen a woman watching them quite adamantly; probably someone who used to know Claire…

"You know… You´re a lousy liar…", he told her gathering his eyebrows; it wasn´t the fun conversation it´d have been months ago, but a flimsy reproach.

"I… Do you think we could go home?", she asked hesitantly; he was upset. She hated it, but seeing the woman standing in the corner, whispering something to her companion caused her stomach to flip, "I-I want to go"

"No", he responded doggedly and pulled her closer, looking over her shoulders. Then Will saw her; a woman standing a few feet away. He had no idea who she was. Probably someone interested in him or in her… who knew? He didn´t care. But it was bothering Emma, and he was positive why. "We´re not leaving", she had to learn how to deal with that; with people _probably_ making comments.

"Please, I´m not-"

"Kiss me, Emma", he prompted moving closer, his hands resting on the small of her back, right where her behind curved, "Kiss me and we _might_ leave"

She looked at him, unsure of how much tease or truth was in his words and quickly, pressed their mouths together.

"Again", he ordered and then she understood it wasn´t a joke. He was being serious and hot-headed as he always was.

"Why can´t you just indulge me tonight?"

"I´ve indulged you for months… Kiss me again", he repeated and Emma stood taller and did what he asked, feeling his hand moving to her chin.

She moved her lips on him, slow, tenderly; until his avaricious thumb pulled her jaw and forced her to open her mouth, before sliding his tongue in it and caressing its cavernous insides.

Will swallowed her gasp, his fingers pervaded through her hair, coaxing her to go along with him. "Kiss me", he breathed raucously between kisses she finally begun to return.

And they kissed, long, deep and hard and she let herself go and finally, after what felt like seconds but had been actually minutes, they pulled away. There was no more lipstick on her lips; the tip of his nose was rosy.

"I want the bubbly you…", his voice was gruff and aroused, "that side you show when you´re with me… I want to see it more often"

"Will-"

"I bet the young Emma would have kissed a boyfriend just like that in public without blushing"

"I´ve never kissed anyone like that in public", He really had no idea she had hoarded all that just for him.

"Re- Em…", this time, the kiss was soft, like the first one Emma had given him, "I don´t want you to feel on edge all the time"

"I wasn´t… until that woman-"

"I don´t think I know her", Emma shrugged when he shook his head, indicating the woman was unknown, "C´mon… Let´s go home"

They walked through the dance-floor and before leaving, he helped her slide her coat on.

"Already leaving red?", a female voice called from behind when he opened the door for Emma, "not a chance you can lend me your hot boyfriend?"

Will was the one laughing and answering; Emma on the other hand was completely taken aback, "Not a chance"

-XX-

After the little episode at the bar, finally they began moving forward. Emma didn´t care about the audience they attracted any more, except for the one he was still struggling to make her forget about.

"Will you stay tonight?", He asked when feeling her body completely relaxed and exhausted after lovemaking. She was still warm and breathing slightly unevenly.

"You know I can´t...", It came out like a resigned breathe and Will kept quiet, "it´s better if I´m not here when the girls wake up", she´d driven back home late every time he´d seduced her towards his bedroom.

"You know I hate you driving so late... And I hate even more you leaving", he pinned her against him rather forcefully and Emma smiled against his chest.

"You´re stubborn"

"No, I´m pissed off", and just like that her smile faded away, "the only one judging you is yourself"

"Oh, Will let´s not fight..."

"We aren´t. You never give me the chance..."

"Well, that´s a lie. You´re always complaining…", complaining wasn´t the proper word to describe what he had been doing; but Emma couldn´t think of another one.

He ignored her comment; something else was bothering him, "I can´t believe that leaving doesn´t bother you"

"It does!"

"Then stay", she said nothing and hugged him tighter, "You´re not gonna, are you?

"I love you… But I have to work tomorrow. All my stuff is at home..."

"Bye Emma", he said dropping his arms to his sides and letting her go; suddenly all the happiness and easiness disappeared.

"Are-are you kicking me out?", it felt like he was and Emma felt cold.

"I´m just wishing you good night because you´re leaving", he spat, rougher than intended, but aiming to make her see this was no joke. He felt frustrated.

But it was most stupid idea he´d had. Because she looked at him, blankness carving her features and in a minute she was buttoning her blouse back on, so in a hurry that she left her bra lost somewhere around the room.

"Ok. Good night", her lips were pursed whilst collecting her shoes and tying her hair, tears peeking out of her eyes.

He watched closely, not saying a word and conscious he was being unfair but feeling the nuisance cursing through his veins.

_Don´t cry..._ She´d never felt so cheap in her whole life. This...she could have expected the first time they had slept together... But now... It reduced her to scum. And she´d felt like that for too long to be reminded what it was like.

He got up and babbled when she opened the door to leave.

"I know my way out", her voice was hoarse and Will tried to call her name. But she was already gone.

"Em... Wait". She was running away. Again.

At least he couldn´t see her crying and Emma finally managed to open the car door, slammed it closed and the engine roared to life. He said he loved her… and hadn´t even come after her. _I can´t believe him..._ Her knuckles turned white as the grip on the wheel tightened and when her head fall between her arms, she realized she was wearing no shoes.

She sobbed looking at her bare toes. She sobbed for her fear, for his lack of understanding, for her absurdness, for his impatience. Struggling to dry her tears, she bumped her forehead with the wheel and jolted when her door was opened, quite violently.

"Wh-"

"Get out of the car", his voice was cold and, his eyes unexpressive.

"I´m going home", he was furious without any right and it maddened her as well; her lower lips tembled. _I´m not your marionette._

"You´re going nowhere. I said get out of the car"

"And I said I´m going home", boldly, he slid his body inside, turned the keys to stop the engine and faced her; the closeness made her throat go dry.

"I´m sorry", he whispered, his expression immediately mutating into something completely different; it was guilt and repentance and so much love. He kissed her puckered lips, "Please, don´t go… I love you"

And she cried. And he undid her seatbelt, took her in his arms and helped her get out of the car.

"I could never kick you out...", he held her securely, almost unmovable in his arms, softly rocking her body as she melted against him, "I´m sorry. I-I´m sorry".

"I´m sorry too. It´s just-"

"I know. I- Gosh, please don´t cry", he kissed her again, this time more passionately and Emma responded instantly. "I can´t let you leave like that... If you leave... I don´t want to-"

"I´ll stay", she interrupted sniffing. "I´ll stay. I don´t want to leave"

"Oh Emma… Then what the hell was all that for?", he hugged her tightly and felt her head shaking, "I know I ask a lot and I´m impatient but you have to think about what you want too"

"I´m t-trying"

"Try harder", he kissed her once more, his fingers messing with her loosened ponytail and finally undoing it. "I didn´t mean what I said"

"O-ok"

"Believe me"

"I do", he descended and captured her lips again, pressing her softly against the car.

"Do you forgive me?", _Please do…_ He felt like the worst scamp ever and stared at her, with imploring eyes. Her wild, now loosened, waves framing her face; the blouse, falling lightly over her slender shoulders; her hand, resting protectively over his.

"Do _you_ forgive me?", she knew she had fears, maybe more than him; she also knew he was pushy or hard-hitting, but it was his way of dealing with things. And Emma loved him for that, despite that they´d argue or disagree.

"You know I do", he brought her to his naked chest and she noticed how cold he was; October was bringing chillier nights.

"Let´s go inside", she whispered rubbing his pecs insistently before leaving a kiss there, "You didn´t even get a t-shirt"

"I was too busy running after you", he mocked sighing at the sensation of Emma´s lips on his skin, "And you didn´t wear your shoes", he scolded suddenly noting she was barefooted.

"I was too busy running away"

He smirked and pinched her moistened cheek, "You don´t have to stay if you are not-"

"I want to stay"

"I always want you to stay"


	15. Chapter 14

**So, this is the last chapter! Idk if happens too fast, but I´d love to rread your opinions! **

**There´s an epilogue coming soon, so hold your horses!**

**Aggie**

**XIV**

* * *

"Are you sure you want this, Em?" He asked tenderly, remembering how shaky she´d gotten after ending the phone call with her mother.

"Y-yes… It´s the right thing to do… they know Will… they know how I feel about you"

"You told them?"

"My mum kinda new all the time", she shrugged, embarrassed, tapping her fingers on the console. "I´m glad you wanted to come and the girls too", she looked at them through the rear-view window; they had fallen into deep sleep since they had hit the road.

"Spending the weekend in their lovely cottage?" he wondered out loud, teasingly, "I don´t know, Em, sounds like a lot of work"

She giggled lightly and then spoke timidly, "I´d like to… wait to tell them… you know, formally. I don´t know how my dad is gonna take it"

Sun always shined in Cleveland, or so Mr. Pillsbury said. That autumn morning wasn´t the exception; the soft breeze blew the little hair he had on his head as Nora and Sam rushed to him for an affectionate hug.

"Hello, kiddos!", time was bearing on Mr. Pillsbury, Emma realized; but she was glad her father had two lovely descendants, "and look at the other no longer kiddos!", he meant his daughter and Will walking to him, "You look beautiful, Ems"

"Stop it, Pinocchio"

"Doesn´t she look beautiful?", he talked to his wife, who was also joining them.

"Always. How are you, darling?"

"Hello, Christine"

"C´mon, let go inside and we´ll show you your bedrooms"

He wasn´t expecting to share a room with Emma. They weren´t supposed to know anything about them, but as later Will corroborated, pretending was hard.

He´d had a special talk to Mora and Sam about keeping the secret, until they told the grandparents what was going on. The girls were doing a better job than he was.

They were discrete and quiet; he was internally kicking himself after grabbing Emma´s hand when she´d say something smart or cute. It was unstoppable. She was too adorable to resist.

"Will…" she breathed his name when he silently trapped her between him and the counter and his mouth landed on her neck, "what are you doing?"

"Kissing my girlfriend", she had insisted on doing the dishes while Christine entertained the girls after dinner.

"Someone might come in", they had had such a lovely evening… she wished for no awkward scenes for what was left for the rest of the night, but oh God… his hands were stroking just the right places. And she´d missed him… this…

"The more barriers you put on me, the more I want to break them", he whispered hotly, letting his hands roam across her belly; her butt pressing on his front, her curls tickling his chin, "Like really break them"

"Really?"

"Take you here, for instance"

"_Will…_", she exhaled in arousal, tilting her head aside, so he could taste the rest of the unexplored skin there, "You´re c-crazy"

"A little", he chuckled and held her tightly as her body submitted to him, "I miss you in my bed"

"I slept with you all week!"

"You did not… You left on Thursday… and Wednesday", softly, he bit her earlobe, pretending it was some sort of punishment.

It was, really. She wanted him to bite harder. "Two days… don´t be a whiner"

"Come to me tonight"

"Tonight?"

"Your father´s studio. You think you remember how to get there?" the teased, followed by a light squeeze on her butt.

"I do"

"Be there. Indulge me"

"Do you think that´s a good idea?" God help them if someone caught them.

"It´s a _great_ idea", he reinforced his insistence with a gentle caress on her chest.

"Ok"

-XX-

"Come here!" he faked a growl and entrapped her between his arms, as both landed heavily on the sofa bed in her father´s studio.

"Will!" he loved her giggles; they were infectious, bubbly and slightly childlike. "Will!"

"What?" she loved his boy-ish smile, especially the one curving his lips as he faked innocence while his fingers played with the hem of her slip.

"You´re incorrigible"

"You´re glad I am… where would you be now if I wasn´t?"

"Probably in bed, missing you", she admitted, flanking his head with her elbows, granting him access to the skin of her hovering behind.

"Mmm… I like the picture", one of Emma´s many surprises when they became intimate as a couple was her underwear. He´d discovered she had more than one drawer stuffed with the sexiest, pastel-colored lace underwear he´d seen. Feminine, soft, so very Emma. Paris had the best lingerie shops; he remembered and mocked her about it, bringing a blush to cover her cheeks.

"Do you?"

"Yes, very much… What do you do when you miss me?" he wrinkled the smooth silk slip in his palms, baring her lower half.

"I think about you"

"And?" he prompted and brought her to sit on him, straddling his hips.

"I touch myself"

"Really?"

"Yes", the admittance was puffed out, her face flushed in a powerful red and then she had to hide it in the crook of his neck.

"How?"

"Oh, Will… no…" she was already too embarrassed to even look at him; she couldn't perform a demonstration.

"Tell me…"

"It´s so intimate…" she justified and gasped when he crushed their hips together.

"Isn´t this intimate too?" _you feel that, don´t you_?

"Y-yes…"

"Tell me", he was eager to hear her, Emma realized; and she wanted to tell him as well.

"On the bed… or in the hot tub; I put my hands on me-"

"Where?" _tell me, tell me, tell me…_

"On my breasts… or… between my legs"

He licked his lips, feeling Emma´s wet confession against his throat; her demure words engorged his chest. She was beyond adorable.

"What do you do then?"

"I touch… "

"Softly?"

"Sometimes"

"Oh, Em…" his hands, with a mind on their own, pressed her harder on him to caress the desire she so innocently had awoken.

"Sometimes it´s not enough… sometimes I need more", ignited by the heightening sensations, Emma rocked forward; her breathe labored, her mind foggy.

"You have toys, Em?" the picture was driving him insane with need for her.

"One", she panted and let him slide her slip off her head, "Just one"

"Touch yourself, Em"

"Oh, no…" _I have you right here, why would I touch herself_? "We´re together now…"

"It´s hot… so hot, baby…" her breasts were hard, tender and she moaned when he brushed and added a little pressure on the pink buds. "Show me. Show me, Em…" he coaxed his lover with a sensual circle on her hips, "Touch for me"

Still feeling undecided, one of her hands slid amid their compressed bodies and found the spot which she had spoiled for nights. Her breathing was shallow, her cheeks bright red, her eyes closed in a mixture of arousal and awkwardness.

"Touch yourself like you do when you´re alone", his voice was throaty, and she nodded at his sweet demand, "what are you thinking, Em?"

"You and me… this…", she sat straighter, giving him a better view of her freckled chest; her hips hoisted a little, slipping herself slightly forward so his erection wasn´t pressed on her core anymore, but somewhere else...

Will gasped, but held her right there, guiding her delicate movements as she gave herself pleasure.

"Tell me what I am doing to you"

"You a-are… like this, u-under me and you touch me…" she panted, more raspy than before; the eroticism of the moment was beyond comparison.

"Where?"

"W-with your mouth-on m-my breasts", a soft moan was emitted and gladly, Will made her fantasy true by taking her nipple in his mouth, twirling it around his tongue. "Oh, yes… like that…"

"Em-"

"This is so hot…", she mumbled, possessed, running faster circles on her swollen clit, feeling her climax building and climbing higher, "I w-want you"

"Come, baby", he ordered softly as the shakes began and Emma´s mouth parted in a silent gasp.

"Wi-Will…" she came softly, quietly, shuddering on top of him, and then letting herself fall.

"Not so fast", it was his turn… his turn to show her how much his body ached for her.

"I want you", she said again and shifted her weight so he could remove her panties, "I really want you"

"Me too"

They made love with indescribable passion; her lean, white body bent back as she rode him shamelessly, abandoning herself in the rips of desire, drinking him, taking him, moaning his name as hands held her, loved her and cherish her.

They came together, breathing so heavily, their chests were in pain.

"You´re amazing, Em", he sighed, gently stroking her bare back.

"You´re pretty amazing yourself"

"Can I ask you a very personal question?" sometimes he wondered things about her. Actually, there was one thing that kept him awake at night.

"More personal than this?" she teased and he held her tighter.

"More personal"

"Tell me"

"Do you want kids?"

"Yes", she didn´t freak out, as he mistakenly assumed, "Not now, tough but-"

"Someday"

"Someday", she gave him a swift kiss and rolled over, calmly looking for her slip, "Tomorrow we have an early breakfast. Dad asked you to go fishing with him, remember?"

"I do… I wish he wasn´t a morning person", he chuckled and hugged her from behind, assuming she´d be gone any minute.

"Do you want me to wake you up?" she asked getting dressed again and wrapping the robe tightly around her waist.

"You know what would be great?" her eyes were curious and Will smirked, playfully, "me wakening up with you"

"You and your sweet-talk", a soft kiss was left on his lips and then she was walking to the door, "Sweet dreams, Hun"

"You too", he blew her a kiss and Emma was gone.

Tip-toeing towards the hallway, the redhead was too busy building castles in the air to notice someone leaving the dark kitchen. The impact her old father walking in the middle of the night and he, facing his post-coital daughter was over the top; perhaps because she _was_ sneaking around Will´s 'bedroom'.

"_Dad_!"

"Emma", he delivered ceremonially.

He knew. And Emma freaked out.

"I-I…" _can you just stop stammering!? You´re a grown-up!_

"I was wondering how long it would be until you were out"

_He heard us? Oh, god…_

_Crap! Crap, crap, crap!_

"I…."

"Are you with him?"

"Uhm… Dad, I-"

"Tell me the truth, Emma", he barely called her that. She had always been 'Ems' or 'kid' for him. Now, she wasn´t. And it made her hair bristle.

"Yes…" the admittance was followed by a deep hue of red coloring her face, "I-I wanted to tell you"

"You didn´t"

"Don´t judge me, please", she begged feeling the so familiar knot in her throat, "I love him"

"For how long?" he seemed to be judging her, even though Emma had asked him not to and it stung her heart.

"Forever", the game was on. There was nothing more she could do, or say. Only the truth; she was tied of hiding, but never imagined the awkwardness of the whole thing.

"He was Claire´s-"

"I know!" _don´t say it_. The last thing she needed was someone else mentioning it. Her brain was constantly bringing it up. "H-he loves me, Dad… he really loves me back"

"Are you sure?" there wasn´t mistrust in his voice, only longing to believe his daughter was certain.

"Yes", _are you?_ Yes. She was sure. Everything Will had done or said convinced her. Or maybe it was her own love blinding her. She didn´t care. She had chosen to believe him, to wish for a happy ending with him.

"I want you to be happy… just wished you would have told me this, kid"

_Kid…._

"I was embarrassed"

"Oh, Ems…", finally and very gently, Mr. Pillsbury held her in his arms, rocking her body with typical paternal love, "It shouldn´t be embarrassing. You love each other… and I vouch there´s nothing else you deserve more than that"

"I know"

"I just don´t want you to live under Claire´s shadow…"

_What? _Was this what he thought she was doing? And the most important… was she?

It shook her. The mere possibility was deeply disturbing. And from the pink fluffy cloud Emma was walking minutes ago, she fell into a cold, grey, smoky uncertainty.

-XX-

"Emma! Emma open up!", he called her name, thumping at her apartment door when she refused to answer. "Emma! EMMA!"

There was no nothing, no sound coming from the inside of her apartment. Only silence.

"Emma!" his fist hit the timber surface; "Em… please open the door…", but not even his sorrowed pleads succeeded on making the wood creak.

He couldn´t understand what the Hell had happened… they were fine. They were great until last night. She´d even spent the night at his place and left early in the morning, whispering a soft 'bye' on his ear before sliding her coat over her shoulders and moved down stairs. He had heard her and blew her a kiss before she closed the door on her way out.

Now, twenty-four hours later, Will had no news from her. All his calls were sent straight to voice mail, and it was the disturbing fact that all the blinds from her apartment were closed.

"Em…", as if it would make the door yield, his hand caressed the wooden surface as he realized she wasn´t home. "Em, where are you?"

-XX-

The light sun was blinding; and so were the tears nipping Emma´s eyes.

How could she let people affect her that much? She had to leave to get some peace of mind? It was ridiculous!

But Carla´s words stung. And they re-signified what her father said, a week ago.

* * *

"_He´s Claire´s husband"_

_The woman had put out the words Emma had been struggling to understand and accept. But the accusation and the despise were earth shaking. _

"_Excuse me?" Emma tried to remain cool, even amused, ignoring the indignation in Carla´s eyes. _

"_And that´s the only reason he´s with you", the woman looked outraged, and what was worse, sorry. _

"_How dare you say something like-"_

"_People talk, Emma. People judge" and that was exactly what she was doing, "And you´re useful for him and for the girls… I was too when you were gone"_

_Not believing that was actually real, Emma stepped back, staring at Carla´s sympathetic glance. _

"_You were a smart girl, Emma. But this is tacky and distasteful"_

* * *

Then she had to run away, literally, from the grocery store where the horrible encounter had taken place and from Lima.

Carla had used a very suitable word. Distasteful.

People made her feel that way. The stares, the whispers, the glances… everything made her feel distasteful and corrupted.

"Mum, can I come over?" her voice was overwrought on the speaker; it was late and she was already on the road. A small bag on the backseat, and her uncertainty on the passenger seat.

"Is everything ok, sweetie?"

"Uhm, I don´t know", the redhead restrained a sob and kept quiet, hearing her mother´s breathing on the other side of the line, "It´s Will. Me and Will", it wasn´t Will. It wasn´t her and Will. It was her. And her only.

"Are you driving?"

"Yes"

"We´ll talk once you get home"

They did, indeed.

A combination of worry, upset and sympathy blended on Mrs. Pillsbury´s face the minute Emma took a seat next to her in the porch.

"You can´t hide here forever", she said calmly after Emma had told her what had happened and Mr. Pillsbury had scolded at her for running away.

"I know!" furiously, mostly with herself, Emma rubbed her face, "It´s just… I don´t want to be Claire´s shadow", carefully she repeated her father´s words.

"Emma!" another reprimand and a sigh left his lips, "That´s not-"

"I am! I´m becoming her… and I loved Claire, but I don´t want to take her place"

"What the hell are you talking about?" her father was shocked by the foolishness of her words, "You´re not!"

"I didn´t come here to be told I´m wrong… just to be understood", she asked between tears seeing him looking at her like she was insane, "I don´t want to be known as Will´s sister in law who married him. You said it yourself, Dad"

"I wanted to make sure you were with him for the right causes!" the man was outraged, "You love him! Then marry him!"

"Richard, she´s upset"

"Emma, sleep on it. And in the morning, tell me how mistaken I am", he declared frustrated and left the porch. Something had to be done.

-XX-

_This has to be a freaking joke_.

The minute Will hung up, his reflection in the mirror revealed how dislocated his jaw was.

_She´s run away_?

"Fuck!" he cursed out loud, forgetting the girls were right there. Having breakfast a few feet away.

"Daddy said the 'F' word", Mora whispered, horrified and slightly scared.

"I-I´m sorry, sweetie… ", gently he brushed her hair, though his teeth was gnashing with fury. "Dad´s a little worried"

"Where´s Emma?" Sam wondered curious, missing her Aunt. It was two days since she had last saw her.

"She´s taking the weekend for some rest. I´ll call her and ask her when she´s coming back", he lied quickly and then prompted his daughter, "now finish your cereal, Sam. You´ll be late for School"

Work was Hell.

Clients were obnoxious as ever and Will spent the whole morning trying to digest and understand Emma´s attitude. He failed, though; only Mr. Pillsbury´s word reverberated in his mind. _'She´ll leave again if I keep pressuring her. I'm sure. Talk to her, son'_

She´d leave again… He was as sure as Richard and it made his neck go stiff. How could she be so damn stubborn?

Hastily, he dialed her number, making sure to use his office phone, so she wouldn´t recognize it.

"H-hello?" her cautious voice reached his ears after a few 'beeps' and Will couldn´t prevent the barking from starting.

"Where the Hell are you?" silence, only her uneven breathing was heard, "You left. Again!"

"Will, please-"

"_Please_? Emma, I was worried sick about you"

"I´m sorry", she only said; he could swear she was crying.

"Em, where are you?" he asked already knowing the answer, but hoping she´d tell him. Instead a vague reply was all he got. It infuriated him. "You´re running. I can´t believe you´re running"

"I need to think", she was crying. Something was shattering her heart, thus directly shattering his as well.

"About what?" he demanded, roughly; silence again. It gave Will chills, "About what, Emma?!"

"I need to sort feelings out"

"You said you love me! What is there to sort?" exasperated, fearful and upset, Will paced across the office, "And I love you. There´s nothing to sort out"

"I feel Lima chasing me"

"What _on Earth_ are you talking about, Emma?! We love each other!" he yelled, missing her point completely. "I feel you´re constantly making difficulties for us being together!"

"I don´t do it on purpose, Will!" she sobbed and coughed to disguise a cry. "I-I have to go…"

"No. Don´t you hang up on me"

"I-I´ll call you later"

"Emma, no-"

"Bye".

And then the line went dead and Will tossed the phone on his desk.

"Damn it, Emma!"

-XX-

_I feel Lima chasing me_

She meant the dirty looks, Will understood later.

Still it made no sense. They were ok. They were handling the looks as good as expected. She was shy in public, but little by little, Emma let herself go. Of course, she wasn´t the affectionate, touchy woman she was in the privacy of his or her house, but at least she wouldn´t ask him to leave when their lips would touch and someone would look at them.

Now she was running away.

_I feel Lima chasing me_.

Something had happened. Something she hadn´t told him.

_I feel Lima chasing me_

_Lima… _

Maybe…

He could do that for her… He´d do anything, he realized after digesting his anger and putting himself in her shoes, no matter how hard it was.

"Sam….?" he called half absent when the girl passed by his side, "Is Mora with you?"

"Yes…"

"I´m here!" the little one exclaimed excitedly.

"What do you think about moving out?", he blurted, anxiously, wanting to know if his idea wa actually plausible.

"Moving out?" the eldest girls looked completely taken aback, "Like, where?"

"Maybe closer to grandpa and grandma… Closer to family"

"I´d like to see them more often…" she put out deep in thought, "What about Aunt Emma? She´s going to stay here and I don´t want to stop seeing her"

"Maybe we can work that out", he winked standing up and collecting her in his arms, "Would you do me a favor?" his daughter nodded, somehow worried by his previous intense state of thoughtfulness and his now sudden inquiry, "Put your sister´s and your pajamas in a hand bag and a pair of fresh clothes"

"We´re going somewhere?"

"To your grandparent´s"

This wasn´t the end. He´d make Emma understand, no matter what it costs him.

-XX-

_We´re getting there in 30 min. The girls are asleep. No need to make dinner for them_.

As he predicted, he parked the car into Pillsbury´s garage late at night. He hated contradicting Mrs. Pillsbury insistence not to drive so late, but it was imperative he talked and saw Emma that night. He would go insane another day without her.

"You´re the most stubborn man I know, Will", Christine furrowed to try hiding a complicity smile.

"I didn´t mean to worry you", gently he slid Sam´s sleeping body onto Richard´s arms as the woman held Mora. "I just need to talk her"

"She needs a little shake", Mr. Pillsbury groaned, shifting the girl in his arms.

"Mum, who's the- Will"

She froze right on her tracks. The last thing she´d have expected was seeing him so late standing in the middle of her parent´s kitchen.

"What are you doing here? How did you-", lost, she started to move to her father, who was openly defying her "You called him?"

"You were hiding", he replied as it was a valid reason. "You can´t hide forever". And with nothing else, the old man left, followed by his wife and the sleeping kids.

"I can´t believe my own father sold me out", endeavoring to lighten the mood, Emma took a seat on one of the chairs; but Will was far from jokes.

"I can´t believe you left me. You promised me you´d never leave again"

"I needed to think"

"I´m so upset, Emma… you have no idea. I´m so… are you going to leave me?"

_Oh, Will….You´re scared_? Her heart hurt when his eyes avoided hers, "I… I love you", she couldn't leave him. But everything was so confusing… "I don't want to leave you"

"Then why did you?"

"I don´t want to take Claire´s spot", if she wanted to work things out, the best thing she could do was tell him.

"Emma…" he sighed, and took her hand; bringing it to his mouth he deposited a light kiss, "Why do you think that? Can´t you see I love _you_?"

"Am I useful to you?"

"What? Sweetie, what are you talking about?" he couldn´t help to chuckle lightly, but Emma was deeply upset, "I love you. Why would you think that?"

"I-I meet someone… and she, uhm, she said some things…" the redhead faltered, not daring to meet his gaze, "She thinks what we have is-"

"Em?" softly, he brought her eyes to meet his, "I don´t care what she or any other people think. But I know you do"

"I-", her protest was shushed by his lips, her face cupped between his hands and then she sobbed.

"You said Lima was chasing you… what if we move?"

"_What?_" her eyes big as ever searched for a sign of a joke on his face. But Will was being serious. Very serious.

"I can´t fight the demons in the outside, but I… I can help you beat the demons inside you"

"That´s the most beautiful thing you´ve ever said to me"

"Come with me and the girls", he demanded sweetly, leaving more feather kisses on her face

"Come? Come where? Will, what are you talking about?" maybe he had lost his mind.

"Where no one else can find us. Let´s move here, near your parents"

It had to be a joke. The most lovely, romantic and crazy joke she had been told.

"No… No! It´s crazy!" it was a hysterical giggle leaving her lips; _he can´t possibly be thinking about leaving his life in Lima because of me?_

"I love you", he made it sound so simple, really. "I want to be with you, I want to marry you and if that means we have to leave everyone around us… so be it"

"You want to marry me… Like, I´d be your wife?"

"Yes", he chuckled and caressed her jaw with his knuckles, "that´s what marriage implies"

"I´d be your wife..." she repeated, tasting the words on her tongue… She´d imagined those words so many times and pronouncing them was a complete new experience.

"Would you like to?"

"I´ve dreamed this since I-"

"I know"

"I want to wake up next to you every morning"

"Then why don´t we do it?" he cradled her head, taking her mouth with his, "Why don´t we just do it?"

"Ok"

"Ok?"

"Yes", she sobbed, kissing him hard, overwhelmed and emotional.

"You just have to promise me something… that you´ll never run away again"

"I promise"

"I´ll find you", he warned, playfully and she giggled.

"And I´ll return to you"

"It´s inevitable"

"Yes, because I love you"


End file.
